Come Together
by mhwright
Summary: Tsuna realizes that he's not just unlucky; he's being targeted. He has to figure out how to protect himself and his friends much earlier than before. Pre-Reborn canon divergence. Rating may go up later for language.
1. Chapter 1

So there's a lot going on in this fic. I'm attempting to explain as much in-story as is reasonable at each point in time. Just stick with me and I'll answer questions that I can without spoiling too much. Also story starts when Tsuna is like 12ish? He'll be about 14 in a few chapters. Also it's gonna take a few chapters, but I enjoy the shenanigans of Tsuna and the Guardians the most, so I promise, we'll get there.

XXXX

There had been a lot of strange incidents in Tsuna's life, but he had never really put them together until now.

Once, a tall man in a trench coat had tried to kidnap him off the playground. He had screamed and cried until a monitor noticed. She nearly gouged out the eyes of the man in the fedora and then pried Tsuna away. They never caught the guy, but there was enough DNA under the monitor's fingernails for the police to keep looking.

Another time, when he was a little older, he had been the victim of a hit and run. Lucky for Tsuna, he had just bounced off the side and tumbled into a ditch. He'd been so tired and bruised he just took a nap there and was only woken up when a woman walking her dog had looked down and screamed.

Everyone just assumed Tsuna was really accident prone, right? For all his clumsiness, he really was incredibly lucky he had walked away from almost all of these incidents relatively alright. And there had been one after the other after the other, seemingly unconnected.

Until now.

Tsuna stared at the gun pointed straight at his head, eyes slowly moving up to the tall man leering at him. He clutched the strap of his backpack tightly, but found that surprisingly, he wasn't shaking as much as he thought he would be. Maybe he was just frozen.

"All the others fucked up, but I'm gonna be the one to finally get you!" The gunman crowed, pressing the cold metal against Tsuna's forehead. They were in a small, dark alley between two shops. In fact, Tsuna had even seen a police officer going into the coffee shop next would hear once the shot rang out, but not in time to help him.

Tsuna was terrified.

But for once, felt vindicated.

Because there really _were_ people out to get him. Tsuna wasn't just clumsy or accident prone. He didn't just attract trouble and that was that. He wasn't just some useless kid. It was all _real_. People had been trying to sabotage him his whole life and he finally _knew_.

_He wasn't crazy!_

If anything, Tsuna was incredibly lucky.

"Say goodbye, kid." And the gun clicked.

It was jammed.

The realization hit both Tsuna and the hitman at the same time and Tsuna immediately started screaming his head off.

"_Shi-!" _The hitman _thwacked_ Tsuna in the head with his gun, knocking him to the ground. Tsuna kept screaming, knowing this was his chance out. "_Shut the fuck up!"_

The door to the coffee shop slammed open, the little bell ringing as footsteps headed towards the alley. The hitman turned and sprinted away down the other side of the alley, coat billowing out. The police officer arrived just in time to see the figure flee around the corner, but was distracted by Tsuna. He had stopped screaming, but was bleeding from the head. The police officer knelt down beside him.

"Are you alright?" He asked in a soft voice. Tsuna gave him the biggest doe eyed look he could manage and nodded.

"That man had a gun!" He said tearfully, milking it for all it was worth. "He hit me with it!"

"Was the man trying to hurt you?" The police officer said in a concerned voice. He looked down at the petite figure still on the ground. Tsuna had just entered middle school, and while he was 11, he was still very small for his age. "Did the man try to _touch you_?" Tsuna let out a dramatic wail in response and the police officer tried to comfort him.

"Don't worry, I'll call for backup and get you to the hospital. We'll catch that son of a b-, that son of a gun." Tsuna nodded tearfully back, as the officer turned away to call for backup.

It's not like Tsuna could explain to him that Tsuna seemed to the be the victim of multiple assassination plots throughout the years, with no clear reason why.

Still, Tsuna found himself irrationally happy with the news that all the "unfortunate accidents" and weird coincidences throughout his life were in fact purposeful. Tsuna wasn't just some dumb, dame kid and that gave him hope.

XXXX

It was something his father had done, was the assumption Tsuna had come to after a couple years. Tsuna knew his mother hadn't done anything and Tsuna was just a middle school student. His older brother, Ietsuna, had been out of the country since Tsuna was 9, part of a long-term student exchange program, so it couldn't have been him. Besides, these strange experiences had never seemed to happen Ietsuna; it had always been Tsuna alone with the "bad luck".

But his father.

Sawada Iemitsu was supposedly a construction worker, and if years of crime-related television had taught Tsuna anything, it was that construction sites were often hotbeds of criminal activity.

There was some truth to this; money launderers often used construction that would never be finished to launder money. Workers would take money in cash and it was very easy to keep things off the books.

Tsuna didn't think his dad was a money launderer or anything; but it wouldn't surprise him if his father had gotten involved with something criminal. It would explain why he never came home.

There was a lot Tsuna didn't know for sure, but he knew that his father was the source of the problem. He had done something he shouldn't have and Tsuna was paying the price.

XXXX

The first time Hibari had witnessed an attempt on Tsuna's life was on school grounds.

Tsuna was still Dame-Tsuna. His grades sucked, he got bullied, and yeah, he was a little clumsy. But at least Tsuna had finally realized he wasn't so dame. He was okay with being shy around the girls in his class or that he didn't really have any friends. Sometimes, even though he missed his older brother, he was okay with Ietsuna being away.

He was late after school, since he had to put everything away from P.E. He had lost his team the game, so they made him put away all the equipment. That was kind of fair, Tsuna guessed.

He was collecting all the soccer balls and cones off the field when he saw Hibari approaching.

_Yikes._

Hibari Kyoya was the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee and he was _terrifying_. Not only was his strange ideology so alien to the student body that it put everyone off guard, but he was a force to be reckoned with. Tsuna had seen Hibari take on huge groups of students and beat them senseless. He would attack anyone who he thought was breaking rules, something that was quickly expanding past Nami Middle; on occasion, the DC had taken to the streets of Namimori itself. It had occurred to Tsuna once or twice that the DC could be considered a vigilante group, or perhaps even a gang, but he wasn't about to voice that opinion to Hibari Kyoya himself.

"Herbivore." Hibari said coldly, peering down at Tsuna. "What are you doing here?" His voice was flat and emotionless. Tsuna almost dropped the soccer ball he was holding.

"Um, I-I'm cleaning uptheequipmentfromclass." Tsuna said quickly, holding up the soccer ball in his hands.

"Hn. Do it quickly." Hibari said, spinning on his heel to walk away. Tsuna squinted against the sun and glanced down the field, mentally counting all the cones he would have to grab.

That's when he saw the figure lurking by the bleachers. He was standing in the shadow of the bleachers, a pair of huge wrap around sunglasses blocking his eyes. He was wearing a suit and Tsuna could swear he saw a metallic glint on the man. He quickly looked away, debating on what to do.

He didn't really _want_ to get Hibari involved, but this guy was about to attack.

"Hibari-san." Tsuna said quickly. Hibari paused mid-stride and turned back around, seemingly annoyed.

"_What_, herbivore?"

"Is that guy supposed to be there?" Tsuna said, jerking his head towards the guy by the bleachers. Hibari narrowed his eyes at the man.

"No. He will be bitten to death accordingly." His tonfas appeared out of nowhere and he made a purposeful step towards the man, who had begun to approach. The man's jacket shifted as he walked and Tsuna was _sure_ he saw a gun now. He began to reach for it and without thinking, Tsuna grabbed Hibari by the back of the jacket and yanked him down to the ground with all of his weight just as the hitman fired at them. It narrowly missed them as they ducked.

Hibari sprang back to his feet immediately, a snarl on his face. He started to rush the man, but Tsuna grabbed a soccer ball and threw it at the feet of the hitman who was now running towards them. The hitman tripped over it, going down headfirst with a nasty crunch as he face-planted into the dirt and his legs flew over his head.

The hitman did not get up.

Hibari approached the hitman and kicked the gun away, even though the hitman seemed to be making no moves towards it. He crouched down and inspected the man while Tsuna hung back, clutching his hands to his chest.

He couldn't believe he'd knocked the guy out.

Tsuna really _was_ lucky.

Hibari stood up and turned to Tsuna who automatically straightened up, eyes wide with terror. Hibari was looking at him strangely.

"He's dead." Hibari informed Tsuna.

"_WHAT?!" _Tsuna shrieked. "N-n-no, no there's _no way_-,"

"His neck broke." Hibari said calmly. Tsuna grabbed his hair, distressed.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL HIM!" Tsuna wailed. "I JUST WANTED HIM TO TRIP!"

"He was going to try to kill us, herbivore." Tsuna just let out a cry, sinking to his knees.

"What are we going to doooo..." Tsuna groaned.

"Get up, herbivore." Hibari snapped. "And leave. I will take care of this."

"Hibari-san, I just killed a man! I can't just-," A glare silenced him.

"Leave. Before I bite you to death." Tsuna scrambled to grab his backpack, hands shaking. "Wait." Tsuna froze in his tracks. "What is your name, herbivore?"

"S-sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna said, shakily.

"Leave, now."

Tsuna practically ran home. He went straight to his room, despite Nana's protests that he was going to miss dinner. Tsuna wasn't feeling particularly hungry after what had happened. He was so shaky that once he got to his room, his legs just gave out under him. He scrubbed his hands across his face.

It didn't even seem real, to be honest. It was a total accident. Tsuna had tripped over a soccer ball a million times in his life. He'd done so today, even. And he'd never broken his neck! The man didn't even look dead, just unconscious. Tsuna was a little suspicious that maybe the hitman _wasn't_ dead and it was just some kind of cruel joke that the DC chairman was playing on him.

But Hibari didn't make jokes and Tsuna knew that.

Tsuna didn't sleep at all that night.

XXXX

"Dame-Tsuna! You didn't clean up yesterday!" One student complained as Tsuna glumly shuffled to his seat.

"I'm sorry. Hibari showed up." He muttered.

"You should have just taken the beating like the rest of us!" Another student said.

"Yeah, Tsuna! Don't be so useless!"

"Sorry." Tsuna said, his face dropping onto his desk.

"Tch. Whatever, I guess."

"Sawada-kun?" A quiet voice asked him. "Are you alright?" Tsuna lifted his head to see Kyoko looked at him, eyes full of concern from the seat next to him.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks for asking." Tsuna said, knowing his answer was far from convincing.

_I just killed a man_ wouldn't have been a good answer though.

"Um, okay Sawada-kun. I hope you feel better." Tsuna had a crush on Kyoko for the longest time and he couldn't even appreciate this right now. She was talking to him, asking about his well-being. This should have been a good opportunity for him to talk to her, and he couldn't even manage _that_. He dropped his head back onto his desk. He honestly shouldn't have even come to school today.

The bell rang just as Nezu, their teacher, entered the room. Tsuna didn't even bother to lift his head. His grades already sucked. He could just spend today with his head on his desk.

A piece of chalk pelted him in the head, hard.

"Ow." Tsuna said, lifting his head and blinking. "What was that for?"

"Pay attention in my class, Dame-Tsuna." Nezu sneered. "I expect you to be awake this period."

"I was awake." Tsuna protested weakly.

"Oh really? You have a funny way of showing it." Tsuna exhaled, exhausted. Another piece of chalk hit him in the forehead.

"What was that for?!"

"Don't roll your eyes at me."

"I wasn- Ow!"

Nezu ignored him and started the class. Tsuna immediately slammed his head back into his desk, not caring how many times Nezu threw chalk at him. He had to run out eventually.

A buzz on the intercom silenced the class as they waited for the message.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi will report to the Disciplinary Committee Chairman's office, _immediately_."

Tsuna groaned.

He ignored the whispers from the class as he slung his bag over his shoulder and got up. He kept his head down, even as his classmates sneered at him.

He walked down the hall with dread, afraid of what Hibari wanted from him. Was Hibari going to bite him to death for "disturbing the peace"? If he did, Tsuna would deserve it. He deserved any beating Hibari decided to unleash.

Kusakabe, Hibari's right hand man was waiting for Tsuna when he got to the DC offices.

"Sawada-san, I'll escort you in." Kusakabe said. Of all the people in Namimori, Kusakabe seemed to be Hibari's actual, truest friend. He was taller than Tsuna, his hair gelled into a pompadour that somehow made him seem taller than he already was. He had a sharp-planed face and Tsuna always thought that Kusakabe had an intimidating appearance. But despite that, Kusakabe was known to be the level-headed counterweight to Hibari's ferocity.

"Did Hibari tell you what this was about?" Tsuna asked nervously. Kusakabe slowed and nodded.

"I'm aware of what occurred, Sawada-san. That was a very brave thing you did."

"But-," Tsuna protested, but Kusakabe held a finger to his lips and smiled.

"Not out here, Sawada-san." He knocked on the door to HIbari's office.

"_Enter._"

Hibari's office was...cozy. Unexpectedly so. The walls were lined with books and little knick knacks. They were all interesting, but some of them looked as if...they'd been taken off of someone. In between, there were two comfortable looking couches, a coffee table, and then Hibari's desk sat in the back. It sat against a wall of windows, daylight flooding in. It was a grand, mahogany desk, covered with neatly organized files and papers. Tsuna also noticed a small bird figurine, which seemed almost out of place on the pristine desk. Hibari was sitting at his desk, filling out paperwork.

Even after Tsuna and Kusakabe entered, he continued to scratch away for a few more seconds. Kusakabe waited patiently by Tsuna's side, giving him a cue to follow. Finally, Hibari lifted his head and set his pen down.

"Kusakabe, shut the door on your way out."

"Of course Kyo-san." Kusakabe nodded at Tsuna before closing the door. Tsuna gulped nervously.

"Herbivore. Come here." Tsuna hurried over to stand in front of Hibari's desk. Hibari narrowed his eyes, inspecting Tsuna carefully. "The assassin has been taken care of." Hibari informed him.

"D-did you take it to the police?" Tsuna asked shakily. The look on Hibari's face answered that question. "G-guess not."

"You did not act like an herbivore yesterday, herbivore." Hibari said.

_Is that supposed to be a compliment?_

"Your plan was sound and useful." Hibari nodded at Tsuna. "This is a compliment, herbivore."

"Th-thank you." Tsuna didn't really know what else to say.

"Now take a seat, herbivore."

"Uh, I should really get back to class-,"

"_Take a seat_, herbivore." Tsuna sat down in one of the chairs in front of Hibari's desk. "What do you know about this assassin?"

Tsuna could have lied to Hibari, and said he didn't know. That he didn't know why that man was there. But more would come after Tsuna and Hibari would realize Tsuna had lied to him. And it wasn't like Tsuna had to worry about the DC chairman telling anyone. Tsuna took a deep breath.

"He was trying to kill me." He confessed. Hibari arched an eyebrow.

"Continue."

"It's my dad. I think he's involved in something...criminal. I don't know what or why. I haven't seen him in years. But people have been trying to kill me my whole life. By my count, there's been more than a dozen attempts on my life. I-I didn't know what they all were when they happened because some of them seemed like accidents and I never really got seriously hurt. But a few months ago, a guy tried to shoot me and he said something about finally being the one to kill me, unlike "the others". And I realized that they...um, they weren't accidents."

"What happened?" Tsuna blinked.

"Hm?"

"To the herbivore with the gun, herbivore. What happened?"

"Oh, um, the gun jammed. And I started screaming so someone would hear me and he ran away." Hibari blinked.

"You are very lucky, herbivore."

"I know."

"More assassins will come." Tsuna nodded. Hibari looked pensive for a moment. "I will bite them to death."

"Hibari-san, you don't need to put yourself in danger for me-,"

"Herbivore, I am not protecting you. I wish to bite them to death because they are disturbing the peace in Namimori, especially on school grounds. And for that, I will bite them to death."

"Oh, uh, okay."

"If anyone else attempts to kill you, you will tell me, herbivore." Hibari ordered.

"Uh, yes, Hibari-san."

"Now go back to class, herbivore." Tsuna practically sprinted out of the room, booking it back to class. He knew he was safe for now, but he couldn't stop the feeling of dread building in his stomach at the thought of returning to Hibari, of confessing about another attempt on his life. The idea at all that there would be more made him feel almost sick. And there almost certainly would be. Tsuna wanted to stop in the hall and close his eyes for a second, but he didn't. He just kept walking, trying to chase away the thought that he couldn't shake.

_I shouldn't have to live like this_.

XXXX

Before long, there was another attempt on Tsuna's life.

About a month later, Tsuna was home alone after school. It was going to be Ietsuna's birthday before long, and his mother wanted to go out and find him some quintessentially Japanese things to ship to him. He had been studying in Italy for quite a few years now and Nana didn't want Ietsuna to forget home. Sure, he had been home for a month last year, and then some holidays before that, but he wasn't coming home this year at all. Something about taking extra classes; not that Tsuna blamed him for not traveling back and forth all the time. He missed his brother, but didn't expect Ietsuna to split his time between Italy and Japan.

He did have a secret confession though; he _missed_ Ietsuna, in a general sense. He loved his brother and he _knew_ he missed him.

But he didn't really _feel_ it anymore.

It was a terrible thing to think and Tsuna would never say it out loud, but Ietsuna had been gone since Tsuna was 9. Tsuna was now almost 12. And he hated to admit it, because he really wasn't that old, but Tsuna was starting to forget things. Well, he remembered. In the sense that he had seen pictures, he had an image in his mind, and he _knew_ these things happened. But the feeling of a nascent memory; of being able to hear laughter, of being able to vividly recall other details of the days in question? That was waning.

He remembered his older brother taking him to the park when he was 6 in a general sense. He remembered trying to play baseball and frankly being terrible at it but having a good time anyways. He remembered it being just the two of them and he knew that his brother had gotten him an ice cream and they walked home. He knew they got back late and he had been tired.

But he didn't remember the conversations he had with his brother the day after or before; he didn't remember eating dinner with his brother every day. He didn't remember what it was like to have his older brother around. Not clearly.

And Ietsuna had been distant the months before he left, hadn't he? Tsuna felt like he barely saw him. And felt like he had barely understood what was going on, just that Ietsuna was going to be gone.

Maybe Ietsuna would come back and it would be like nothing had changed.

But Ietsuna was also 2 years older. He was 14 now. He was going to be in Italy for at least another few years. Maybe for all of high school. He'd be _18_ by the time he was home again. Tsuna couldn't even _imagine_ who his older brother would be by then.

So Nana was out, buying Japanese goods in bulk for her oldest son. Tsuna was taking that opportunity to relax. He was sprawled out on the couch, watching a mindless TV show that Nana didn't really like, drinking a soda. Just trying to unwind from school. He _had_ been admittedly high-strung the past few months. He deserved this, right?

_Knock-knock_.

Tsuna sat straight up, his tie getting caught under his arm. He had loosened his uniform a little, but it still yanked on his throat. He adjusted it, set down his soda, and tried to smooth down the side of his hair as he shuffled towards the door. He rubbed his eyes.

He didn't bother checking the peephole before he opened the door.

Probably should have.

When he opened the door, he immediately knew he was in trouble. On his doorstep stood a tall, Italian-looking man. His dark hair was slicked back, his suit was pressed, and he was wearing what looked like designer sunglasses. He smiled at Tsuna, reminding him of a snake. It was still bright out, but it was almost as if this dark figure drew all the light to him, a black figure in the afternoon sun. Tsuna couldn't see any weapons, but he already knew in his gut they were there.

For a brief moment, Tsuna entertained the idea of speaking to the man, of asking him who he was there for. Pretending like he didn't already know what was going on.

The man tilted his head forward, so that Tsuna could see his dark eyes over the top of his glasses. He opened his mouth to say something and all Tsuna saw were teeth. He immediately slammed the door shut and deadbolted it.

"_You fucking brat!_" Came the curse, but Tsuna was already running up the stairs. He heard the sound of the guy pounding on the door behind him, but tried to ignore it. Tsuna grabbed the home phone out of its cradle, and started dialing a number he had forced himself to memorize, afraid that this day would come again. He ran into the bathroom upstairs, locking the door. He put the phone on speaker and set it on the counter as it rang. He grabbed the heavy porcelain lid off the tank on the toilet. He'd seen someone get hit with it in an American movie once. It was fairly heavy; not so heavy that Tsuna couldn't hold it, of course, but heavy enough that he almost dropped it when he first removed it.

The person on the opposite end of the phone picked up, but said nothing, leaving only staticky silence. Tsuna heard the sound of glass breaking downstairs, probably the window.

"Hibari?" Tsuna said, his voice cracking involuntarily.

"_Herbivore?"_ Came the curt response.

"A..._guy_ is breaking into my house to kill me." He said, his tongue feeling heavy in his mouth. Once he said it out loud, he realized how bad it sounded. He was in _trouble_. He felt his breathing quicken, instantly getting sweaty. He closed his eyes and set his head against the mirror, clutching the porcelain lid. The cold glass felt good against his forehead, and he tried to ignore the feeling of his heart in his throat.

"_I'm on my way. Where are you?_"

"In my house. I-i live at-,"

"_I know your address already._" Hibari interrupted. "_Where in your house are you?_"

"B-b-bathroom." Tsuna choked out. He could hear footsteps on the stairs despite the newfound buzzing in his ears. "Upstairs."

"_Do you have a weapon?_"

"N-no. I'm holding the porcelain lid from the toilet tank." He confessed.

"_Good._ _I'll be there soon._" Hibari hung up. Tsuna felt like his vision was swimming. He rotated his head against the glass, letting out a hot breath that fogged the mirror.

"Where are you, you little _rugrat?_" Tsuna straightened up abruptly. He made the mistake of glancing at himself in the mirror and saw how pale he looked. He could barely feel the porcelain lid in his hands.

He stood in the bathroom, trembling, listening to the man in his house rattling door knobs and searching rooms. He squeezed his eyes shut and backed up from the door, waiting for it to be this doorknob, this room.

Eventually, the heavy footsteps got closer. And closer. And then Tsuna heard the rattle of the door handle, the unexpected loudness startling him. He backed up again, stopping when his heels hit the bathtub. When the man realized the door was knocked, he banged on the door with a ferocity that almost sent Tsuna falling backwards into the tub.

"Hey, kid. I just wanna talk to you." Tsuna opened his mouth, as if to say something, but he had nothing to say. His throat was dry. "Just open up."

Should Tsuna try to stall him? Should he not? Was he waiting for Hibari?

"W-who are y-y-you?" Tsuna managed to get out.

"Listen. I just need to talk to you. I'm not gonna hurt you!" The man said, and Tsuna could hear the attempt to soothe him, but Tsuna knew better. "Come on, you're just a little kid. Who would hurt a little kid?"

"I don't know you." Tsuna responded shakily. "Please, just tell me who you are."

"I'm just looking for the son of Iemitsu Sawada. Or Sawada Iemitsu. Is he your dad?" The muffled voice through the door came. It felt like Tsuna had been slapped.

He had guessed, nearly _known_ that this was somehow about his father. But the confirmation left an ache in his chest.

He wished his brother was here.

"Y-yes. Did he do something wrong? Is that why this is happening?"

"He didn't do anything wrong, kid. I just need to talk to you. Just open the door so we can talk face to face. Man to man."

"I-i d-don't know about that." Tsuna stammered. "I can hear you like this."

_Bang!_

"_Open_ the _door_." The man seethed. Tsuna knew it was impossible, but it was like he could feel the man's hot breath through the door.

_Bang! Bang! Bangbangbang_

The man was slamming his fist on the door now, screaming unintelligibly.

"_Stay away from me!" _Tsuna yelled back.

_BANG!_

The lock splintered apart and the door swung open, slamming against the wall. Tsuna froze.

The man looked _furious_. His face was red, and he had lost the sunglasses, revealing narrow eyes that seethed with anger. His lips were curled into what Tsuna could only characterize as a snarl. He took a step further and Tsuna stumbled backwards, falling into the tub. He knew that his back would be sore later if he survived this, but he could barely feel it in the moment. The man stormed in, grabbing Tsuna by his tie and yanking him up and out of the tub.

Tsuna dropped the porcelain lid.

Right onto the man's feet.

"_You-!"_ The man screamed, as both his feet were crushed beneath the porcelain lid. He let go of Tsuna and Tsuna immediately pushed back against him, sending the already off-balance man backwards. The hitman's arms windmilled out, one of his nails scratching Tsuna's face. Tsuna watched as the hitman's head smacked against the ajar door before he hit the ground. It felt like it happened slowly, even though it was only an instant.

The next thing he knew, he was looking down at the hitman, who was sprawled out on the ground but already beginning to reach upwards.

Tsuna snapped into action. He sprang forward, stepping on the hitman's chest and practically _leaping_ away as he started running. He didn't even know where he was going, really. Just as far away as he could get. He didn't spare a second to look back as he ran down the stairs and out of the house. He took off down the street, afraid that if he stopped running, the hitman would catch up with him.

_CRACK_

The sound was impossibly loud; not close, and yet left a ringing in his ears that hurt. He nearly missed a step when he heard it, the sudden shock of it startling him. Tsuna had never heard a gunshot in real life before, but he had watched enough TV to take a guess as to what he heard. It sounded nothing like it did in the movies.

He glanced back to see the hitman pointing a gun at him, hobbling down the steps of the Sawada house. Vaguely, Tsuna knew that the shot had been fired at him.

And he had been right.

Looking back _was_ a mistake.

Next thing he knew, he was sprawled out on the ground, already knowing his knees and elbows were skinned, even though his clothes. He groaned, and rolled onto his side, blinking hard. He barely had time to move before a shadow fell over him. He looked up, to see Hibari stopped, standing over him. Gray eyes looked down at him curiously.

"Herbivore." He said.

"Hib-" Before Tsuna could finish what he was saying, Hibari took off running, sprinting towards the man with the gun. There was another shot before Tsuna could even look, but he yanked himself into a sitting position immediately after. Hibari had not even paused for a second, rushing at the hitman, tonfas out. The hitman's expression could only be described as bewildered.

_Crack!_

Blood gushed from the hitman's nose. He immediately brought up the gun to defend himself but Tsuna watched the strike across his knuckles that caused the hitman to yelp and drop it. There was the smallest moment of hesitation from the hitman and Hibari wasted no time exploiting it, attacking with such a stunning fury. Hibari used the edge of his tonfa to repeatedly hit the man in the throat, before sweeping his legs out from under him and knocking him to the ground. The chairman's foot shot out, knocking away the gun, before continuing his onslaught. Even though the hitman was on the ground, Hibari delivered blow after blow, without pause, blood smearing across his tonfas and splattering up onto his face.

"Sawada-san, don't worry. You're safe now." A familiar voice said, a hand descending onto Tsuna's shoulder. He came back into his body, realizing his hands were clasped at his mouth in shock. Kusakabe was hovering over him, a few members of the DC flanking him on either side. The older boy held out a hand to help Tsuna up, which he hesitantly took. "Kyo-san has this handled." The grunts of pain from the hitman were audible.

"I-i know." Tsuna stammered, unable to tear his eyes away from the brutal scene before him. It was horrible, but impressive. "Is he going to kill him?" Kusakabe rubbed his chin.

"Probably not."

_Probably?_

"Why don't you come with me, Sawada-san?" Kusakabe suggested, escorting Tsuna away from the scene by the elbow. "We'll give Kyo-san some time to take care of his business."

_You mean my business._

20 minutes later, Kusakabe led Tsuna back towards his house. The hitman was gone, hustled off somewhere by the other Disciplinary Committee members. All that was left were bloodstains on the grass and the gun Hibari handed to Kusakabe without a word. Kusakabe steered Tsuna closer to Hibari, seemingly sensing Tsuna's resistance to be near the blood-spattered boy leaning against Tsuna's front door. Kusakabe released Tsuna's arm, with a quick,

"I'll take care of this," leaving them alone. Tsuna fidgeted nervously, hesitant to meet the eyes of the _smirking?_ older boy.

"Th-thank you, Hibari-san." Tsuna forced out. There were a lot of reasons Tsuna didn't want to meet Hibari's eyes. One of them being the fact that Tsuna was pretty sure he beat a man to death in front of Tsuna.

But there were others; Tsuna was embarrassed that he had to be protected. That he was so vulnerable. That this was but the latest in a series of incidents. That this was far from the last attempt on Tsuna's life, with the way things were going. That his _father_ was going to get him _killed_.

"I expected him to be stronger." Hibari said, yawning. "But nevertheless, he disturbed the peace in Namimori."

"Did you k-,"

"Kill him? No." Hibari responded, almost dismissively, straightening up. "He survives, unfortunately. If the Disciplinary Committee learns anything of importance, you will be notified." Tsuna rubbed his eyes, and when he pulled his hands away, they had blood on them. He blinked at them, alarmed. "Your face is bleeding, herbivore." Hibari informed him. Tsuna finally met Hibari's eyes.

"Hibari-san, you have already done a lot for me and I'm very grateful for it. But I...have something to ask of you." Hibari's eyes narrowed and Tsuna almost stopped talking, but he pushed onwards. "I...need your help. I appreciate that you dealt with this..._hitman_," It was almost difficult to say out loud. "But I need to be able to protect myself. There are going to be more. I was right. It is because of my father. You're not always going to get here in time. I'm not always going to be as lucky as I was today." Tsuna didn't feel particularly lucky, his face stinging, shins and elbows smarting. But the shot _missed_. Everytime Tsuna escaped by the skin of his teeth he was gambling with his life, whether he knew it or not. At some point or another, his luck would run out.

Hibari blinked at Tsuna.

"I'll see you after school tomorrow, herbivore. Come to my office. I expect punctuality." Tsuna jerked back.

"Just like that? You're going to..._train_ me? _Why?_" Hibari stared at him, as if the answer was obvious.

"You asked me to, herbivore. Did you hit your _head_?"

"No, I mean...why did you just _accept_ me?" Tsuna asked incredulously. "I thought I was going to have to beg for your help."

"You are not without potential."

"I just tripped over my feet and nearly died." Hibari didn't roll his eyes, but certainly came close.

"Do you _want_ me to revoke my acceptance?"

"No!" Tsuna said quickly. "I just...don't understand why you would _want_ to help me. Why you think I have potential." Hibari snorted derisively.

"Two months ago you killed a man. Today, you escaped nearly certain death. And even though you stand before me, trembling," Hibari said disdainfully. Tsuna was a little offended. "You nevertheless asked me to train you. You aren't like other herbivores, believe me. Anyone else would have crumbled."

"I didn't _mean_ to kill that guy. It was an accident." Hibari rolled his eyes for real. Tsuna had never seen him act so...human?

"I am not saying that you do not feel any ounce of guilt or remorse for killing that man. I _am_ saying that you can handle it."

Tsuna stilled.

"Tomorrow?" He asked quietly.

"Tomorrow, herbivore."

XXXX

Okay, so Tsuna has a brother but just to be clear, this is not an evil twin fic! Ietsuna is being groomed to be Decimo over Tsuna, but things are going to change, of course. This is a KHR fic.

Also Ietsuna won't show up for _a while_. I just wanted to establish that he does have a brother earlier, so it's not jarring later on.


	2. Chapter 2

So, we're gonna spend a lot of time with Hibari in the beginning, but the other Guardians are starting to get introduced this chapter. Some, like Mukuro, will probably have to wait longer than others. But I intend to have all the same Guardians for Tsuna.

But Ryohei and Yamamoto do have a special place in my heart.

XXXX

Training with _the_ Hibari Kyoya?

Tsuna had already determined that meant _pain. _He was _sore_. Muscles he didn't even know he had were hurting. It was downright _embarrassing_ how out of shape he was.

Hibari started every training session with laps. Laps that left Tsuna red-faced and panting, exhausted. That didn't even compare with the brutality that followed.

Hibari was not afraid to leave bruises on his face.

Nana had been horrified, first at the shattered window and broken bathroom door, and then days later, the black eye and bruised ribs. Tsuna told her a goose flew into the window of the house and that the lock on the bathroom broke when he got locked inside. What he told her about the black eye and bruised ribs was barely even a lie;

"Hibari did it." Was what he said. And it was even _true_. The details to follow weren't; but he had something at least.

She fussed over him, but it was widely known how savage the DC chairman was. Tsuna just told her some bullshit about accidentally throwing a baseball through Hibari's office window. He was going to have to think of something better soon, though. After all, how many windows could Hibari's office possibly have?

One day, after Hibari had beaten him senseless during training, when Tsuna was laying on the ground panting, too tired to summon the least bit of decorum, he got a little bit of courage.

He was staring up at the nearly cloudless sky, the occasional bird flying past the sun, a black figure in the sky. His vision was tinted on the edges as he breathed heavily. Hibari was inspecting his tonfas, bored, even after the rigid training he had just put the younger boy through.

"Hibari..." Tsuna began, struggling to catch his breath.

"Hn." Was the only response he got.

"Don't take this the wrong way, because I'm grateful you're helping me," Tsuna debated in his head for a moment about continuing. "...but I _hate_ you."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Tsuna gave it a moment, and then lifted his head up to peek at Hibari.

Whose shoulders were shaking, ever-so-slightly.

"Are you _laughing_?" Tsuna asked incredulously. "I thought you were going to um, bite me to death?" Hibari met his eyes, a dark smile on his face.

"Oh, I will, herbivore. But I was going to do that anyways. Now _get up_." Tsuna groaned.

XXXX

Months passed. His training continued into the summer. Tsuna got...not good, he wouldn't say. Hibari certainly wouldn't say it. But less _bad_. He was less clumsy. He could run more than a mile at a time without passing out. Towards the end of the year, people started to see Tsuna around Hibari and those who would have normally bullied him began to leave Tsuna alone, for fear of retribution from the chairman.

Tsuna's grades even improved; under threat from Hibari that he would not continue training Tsuna unless they were elevated to passing, at minimum. Though, something about no longer being bullied mercilessly by student and teacher alike certainly had something to do with his academic ability, in Tsuna's opinion. He felt...safe, wasn't the word. He was never _really_ safe. But more comfortable than before.

Tsuna still didn't have friends; sure, he brought bento boxes for Kusakabe and Hibari on occasion. As a thank-you, of course. For all they had done for him, no matter how hellish it was. And Kusakabe smiled at him, always welcoming him to the DC office. And sure, _maybe_ some of the other members of the committee would ask Tsuna how his day had been, but nothing spectacular. They were friendly. They weren't friends.

It was nice, though, Tsuna reflected. He went home almost every day with a newfound bruise, but when he compared his life to a few months ago, it was better. Without a doubt. He was happier.

Even though school was out, Tsuna still came every day at the same time to Hibari's office. There were plenty of cram schools and activities that still ran out of Nami Middle during the summer, so the Disciplinary Committee remained in-session with those students. Besides, it's not like Hibari would ever _stop_ his extracurricular activities. Running the Disciplinary Committee was too much fun for him, Tsuna had realized.

He shrugged to himself. Everyone had their passion.

He climbed the steps to Nami Middle, glancing over at the baseball fields. A couple of the team members were warming up, early for practice. Tsuna had come to recognize some of them, as they were there the same time each day, just like Tsuna. One of them, a tall, dark-haired boy with a permanent smile, even waved at Tsuna, who waved back. Yamamoto Takeshi, Tsuna believed his name was. He was a cheerful boy, well-liked at school. Tsuna had a few classes with him, but didn't know him well.

"Good afternoon, Sawada-kun!" Yamamoto called out to him, leaning against the wire fencing, baseball bat in one hand. "Good luck with Hibari!"

"Good afternoon!" Tsuna called back. "And thank you. Have fun at practice!" It was a small interaction, but it had become a constant in Tsuna's life.

When Tsuna pushed open the door to the Disciplinary Committee, there was Kusakabe, like always. He was sitting at a desk, organizing some paperwork. He smiled up at Tsuna.

"Good afternoon, Sawada-kun. How has your day been?" Tsuna smiled, setting his bag down on one of the couches.

"Good, Kusakabe-kun. And please, call me Tsuna." He had been telling Kusakabe for the past few weeks to use more informal terms for him, but Kusakabe had been politely refusing.

Until now, apparently.

Kusakabe dipped his head at Tsuna.

"As long as you call me Tetsuya, Tsuna-kun." Tsuna blinked owlishly, surprised.

"Um, of course, Tetsuya-san." Kusakabe smiled at him. Tsuna was getting a weird vibe about today.

"Kyo-san is in his office, waiting for you. You can go on and head right in." Tsuna nodded.

When he entered the office, Hibari was sitting in his chair, flipping through some paperwork, a bored look on his face. Sunlight was streaming in through the back window and it was almost a peaceful image; the calm atmosphere was unusual. And misleading, Tsuna was sure.

Hibari looked up, saw Tsuna, and stood up. Tsuna gulped.

The older boy gestured at the chairs.

"Sit, herbivore." Tsuna shuffled in and immediately took a seat. He was certainly less nervous around the demonic chairman than he had been months ago; Tsuna would even go as far as to speak his mind around the older boy. But Tsuna would hardly defy a clear order.

Hibari rounded around the desk so that he was closer to Tsuna, taking a seat on the front edge casually. It was silent for a few moments.

"Herbivore." Hibari finally said. "For the upcoming school year, you will join the Disciplinary Committee."

"_What_." Tsuna said flatly, the response coming from his lips before he could stop it. Hibari just blinked at him.

"What about my statement was not clear?" Tsuna leaned forward, mouth gaping. He gestured at himself.

"You...want _me?_ On the _Disciplinary Committee?_" Tsuna asked incredulously. "I'm Dame-Tsuna!" An expression Tsuna could not read passed over Hibari's face.

"You are obviously not useless, herbivore. Or you would not be alive and I would not be training you." Hibari spoke as if that was the most obvious conclusion in the world. "I would not be wasting my time on a hopeless idiot." It was _almost_ a compliment.

"But...why?" Tsuna wanted to know. "I don't understand, Hibari-san." Hibari actually rolled his eyes, brushing a lock of dark hair out of his face.

"Because if you are on the Disciplinary Committee I can place you in a free period at the end of the day which provides time for training. You will be able to learn more from others on the Disciplinary Committee for other aspects of your training besides physical performance. I will have more freedom to alter your schedule or remove you from useless school events as I see fit."

Ah. That made more sense. If Tsuna was on the Disciplinary Committee, Hibari could control his life in a more official way.

"Make no mistake, you _will_ be an effective member of the Disciplinary Committee." Hibari continued. "You are still, unfortunately, an herbivorous little animal. But time on the Committee will help free you from that regrettable condition."

Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hibari-san, I don't know if I would be a good fit." Irritation flitted across the chairman's face. "I know I've been training, but protecting myself and enforcing rules for other people are very different things." Hibari stared at Tsuna intensely, and the younger boy shrank back instinctively. They stayed like that for longer than Tsuna expected. He was certain the chairman would snap at any moment and throw a tonfa at his head.

"Take tomorrow to think about it." Hibari finally spoke. "If you really must." He added dryly. He stood up, slowly retaking his seat. "You are dismissed, herbivore."

XXXX

Tsuna was beginning to get a sense of the gravity of what Hibari was asking of him.

It wasn't often that you knew when a decision would alter the course of your life; those moments were more fleeting than anyone would like to admit. But Tsuna knew in his heart that this decision was one of those moments. That he had the privilege of being aware that his life was about to change, in a major way. That he would grow up to be a different person than he had ever expected.

He didn't know if he was well-suited to be on the Disciplinary Committee. He couldn't visualize himself as an enforcer. It didn't mesh with what he knew about himself.

But on the other hand, if Tsuna wanted to survive into adulthood, he had known he would have to make some major changes to himself and his life. Was this not one of those changes?

And Tsuna didn't really need to expand upon the benefits of being in a group as tightly-knit as the DC. The kind of protection that would offer.

So.

It was decided.

It was time to change his life.

XXXX

"Sawada-kun!" A familiar voice called out to Tsuna, as he ascended the steps to the school. Tsuna paused, and looked towards the baseball field, where Yamamoto was. He was leaning against the fence, as always. "You weren't here yesterday!" It wasn't really a question.

Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, offering a smile to Yamamoto.

"No, sorry. I had some business to take care of yesterday and couldn't make it." Yamamoto smiled at him, and it was somehow more genuine than before.

"I missed you." He joked. "I got lonely out here without seeing you." Tsuna knew the other boy was joking around, but there was some truth in there that touched Tsuna's heart.

"Yamamoto-kun, it really makes my day when you say hello." Tsuna confessed. Yamamoto tilted his head and laughed cheerfully.

"I was gonna say the same thing, Sawada-kun! You took the words right out of my mouth." Tsuna smiled back gently.

"Well, don't worry. Yamamoto-kun. I'm sure you'll see me around here for a long time." Yamamoto looked thoughtful.

"I hope Hibari doesn't put you through too much."

"Not more than I can handle." Tsuna assured him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yamamoto-kun." The baseball player waved to him as he headed inside.

When Tsuna reached Hibari's office, the older boy didn't even bother to look up from his desk or his paperwork. He dipped his head to acknowledge Tsuna's presence, scratching away at his paper. Tsuna didn't bother to sit down.

"You knew." Tsuna accused him.

"Knew what, herbivore?"

"That I was going to say yes. You would have fought me if you thought I would say no." The scratching paused. And then continued.

"Your statement is not without truth."

"Oh, I _hate_ you." Tsuna could swear he saw a smile on Hibari's face.

"So that _is_ a yes, herbivore."

"Yes." Tsuna clarified. "Damnit. Yes." Hibari nodded.

"You will go to Tetsuya. He will start the orientation process. I will continue it later." Tsuna shivered at the thought of what the DC's orientation process could possibly entail. "Now, get out of my office."

XXXX

Tsuna had been on the DC for a few months, at this point.

And he had watched his status _change_. He had gone from so _low_ that most people barely knew who he was, with the exception to torment him, to practically _untouchable_. Not that plenty of punks didn't try their luck with the DC on a regular basis; but the general, normal student population had seemingly decided he was beyond their reach.

"I don't know what you're talking about, little animal." Hibari said flatly, flinging a tonfa at Tsuna's head. Tsuna ducked, and the tonfa hit the door, clattering to the ground loudly. He bent down to pick it up, before he got a strange feeling. He instinctively jumped back.

_Wham!_

Hibari's second tonfa hit the metal door with such force that it bounced back, narrowly avoiding Tsuna's head.

"Never take your eyes off your opponent, _idiot_." Hibari snapped. Tsuna rolled his own. They were wrapping up a training session on the roof.

"I dodged it, didn't I?"

"Barely, little animal." In the past few months, Hibari had seemingly decided that Tsuna was elevated above an herbivore. He had now achieved small animal status. "And still, I do not understand what you are talking about or why you even concern yourself with the opinions of herbivores."

"Hibari," Tsuna brushed a tuft of hair out of his eyes, tossing back one of the tonfas as he did so. "Everyone in Namimori has been terrified of you since you were little. You've never been like regular people." Hibari arched an eyebrow.

"And you think you are?" Tsuna stared back.

"I mean, yeah. Or at least I was before all this business started. Just a normal kid." Hibari snorted. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You can pass for one of them, but you aren't one of them." Hibari held out his hand. "My tonfa, little animal."

"It's just _weird_, is my point." Tsuna said, walking forward to hand the weapon over. "People who looked down on me are afraid of me."

"Do you not revel in it?"

"Hibari, you're so _weird_ and you have _no idea_." Hibari shrugged.

"I don't worry about the opinions of those beneath me." He gestured with one of his tonfas pointedly. "And neither should you."

"You're no help at all." Tsuna said.

"Hn." The chairman took a seat on the ground, leaning against the fencing. He closed his eyes. "Now get out. I'm taking a nap." Tsuna stuck his tongue out. "I saw that, little animal. And know you will pay for it tomorrow."

"Your eyes are closed!" Hibari cracked one eye open.

"So you _did_ make a face at me." Tsuna groaned.

"I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, Hibari."

While Tsuna had no problem with training on the roof, there was no staircase nearby to the ground floor. So Tsuna had to walk across the school to leave. It wasn't so bad; he put his headphones in and walked along leisurely. Thankfully, no one would bother him anymore.

As Tsuna rounded the corner in one of the hallways, he saw a fellow DC member, identifiable by the armband they both wore. Tsuna smiled at him, recognizing him as Watanabe Ren. He was in Tsuna's own grade.

"Ren-kun." Tsuna said cheerfully as they got closer, pulling out his headphones and balling them up in his hand. "How are you?" Ren smiled back.

"Good, Tsuna-kun. I was actually just looking for you." Tsuna tilted his head. Ren glanced around and leaned in, lowering his voice. "There appears to be a conflict brewing near the gym. Regarding Mochida and Sasagawa-chan. I know you have class with her, and was hoping you would help me with it." Tsuna blinked.

Mochida was an older student with what Tsuna could only characterize as an _attitude_ problem. He was a bully, for sure. But more than anything, he was an arrogant creep. He was well-known for harassing girls in the grade beneath him. He was captain of the Kendo club though, and popular, so he continued to get away with downright despicable behavior.

Sasagawa Kyoko, on the other hand, was nothing like that. Tsuna admittedly had a crush on her for a long time. She was pretty, with bright, kind eyes and a sweet smile. She was popular too, but because she was a genuinely kind person. When Tsuna was being bullied mercilessly, she was always polite and kind to him, even as an acquaintance. Mochida had been trying to get Kyoko to go on a date with him for a long time, but she had politely declined his advances. Due to her own status and her overprotective brother, she had managed to turn Mochida down without having her reputation torn to shreds by him and his friends. But it seemed like Mochida was getting impatient.

"Conflict between Mochida and Sasagawa-chan?" Tsuna asked curiously. Ren made a pained noise.

"Nothing has happened yet, but as you can imagine, I am concerned about my ability to restrain her older brother if that becomes necessary. He'll beat the shit out of Mochida _and_ me." Ren confessed. "I would love to de-escalate the situation first, and you're excellent at that."

"Of course." Tsuna said with a nod. Hibari didn't particularly enjoy when Tsuna tried to get the students in conflict at school to talk it out first. In the chairman's opinion, just "biting them to death" was all that was necessary. Tsuna _had_ gotten physical on occasion, but he felt that he was an effective negotiator.

Ren took Tsuna to the gym, where various sports teams were practicing. There were some boxing rings set up on one end, with a couple of guys doing pushups. Most noticeably among them, was Sasagawa Ryohei, instantly recognizable by his shock of white hair. As well as his _powerful_ voice, that was calling out to his fellow club members, telling them to just do one more push-up, every push-up.

On the other end was the kendo club, with a few pairs sparring with shinai on mats. Other club members were doing various exercises or watching the matches. With the exception of Mochida Kensuke.

Kyoko and Kurokawa Hana were sitting on the bleachers, most likely there for Ryohei. They were sitting midway between the two clubs, on the first row. They had their bookbags strewn about, notebooks and pencils on the seats next to them. They had been clearly engrossed in whatever they were doing before Mochida had started harassing them.

Mochida was leering over Kyoko, Hana staring daggers at the older boy. Kyoko's face was flushed and her body was turned away from Mochida, even though she was facing him. Tsuna watched her eyes dart over to her brother a total of three times. When her eyes finally drifted over towards Tsuna and Ren, a brief look of relief passed over her face. Mochida noticed, and turned his head to see the two DC members who were fast approaching.

"Mochida-san." Ren said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Is there a problem here?" Mochida's face instantly curled into a snarl.

"No problem at all. Can I help you, Watanabe-san?" Mochida said through gritted teeth.

"Mochida-san," Tsuna began to speak. He briefly met Kyoko's eyes. "It appears that you are making Sasagawa-chan uncomfortable. We would prefer if you would politely return to your club." Mochida whipped around, letting out a laugh.

"Oh, so _Dame-Tsuna_ is going to give me orders now? You think just because you have a fucking armband you're something special?" Mochida said. "Besides, I'm not doing anything wrong. If Sasagawa-chan wants me to leave her alone, she can say so."

"You watch your mouth you-," Ren began, but Tsuna put a hand on his arm.

"That's an unkind thing to say, Mochida-san." Mochida rolled his eyes.

"Please." He reached out to grab Kyoko's shoulder. "Let's get out of here, Ky-,"

"Leave her alone, you _dick!_" Hana burst out, smacking Mochida's hand away. Kyoko looked panicked as she slipped away from Mochida's grasp. "She doesn't want you here!" Mochida ripped his hand back, face flushing. When he spoke, Tsuna could hear the fury beginning to build in his voice.

"You-," Tsuna stepped in between them.

"Sasagawa-chan, I notice you have a lot of notebooks out. Are you studying?" Kyoko nodded. She had picked up one of them and was holding it close to her chest nervously. She was glancing over at her brother, who had stopped doing pushups and was looking over curiously. "Would you prefer to return to studying?" She looked hesitant, but finally spoke.

"Mochida-san, I need to study for my classes." She spoke quietly. "You are very nice, but I am just so busy with school right now, that I don't think I will be able to find time to see you after classes."

"That's why we should hang out now." Mochida said. "We could, if _Dame-Tsuna_ would get _out_ of my _way_." He reached out to push Tsuna aside, but Ren grabbed his hand.

"Don't do that." Ren threatened him. "You're lucky Sawada doesn't want to get physical." Mochida snorted.

"Oh, please. Just because he's Hibari's little pet now doesn't mean he could take me on in a fight." He glared at Tsuna. "I could take this little brat any day of the week."

"Kyoko?" Ryohei was starting to walk over. He had an intense look on his face as he called out to her. "Is there something wrong?" Kyoko looked a little panicked. Tsuna forced a smile onto his face. He waved at Ryohei.

"Everything's okay, Sasagawa-kun! Just a little misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding, _my ass_." Mochida snapped. He shoved Tsuna, who stumbled a few steps. Kyoko let out an _eek!_, sliding away on the bench. Hana stood up.

"You fucking _troll_." She snapped. Ryohei started walking faster. Ren grabbed Mochida by the collar, his fist clenched.

"LET ME GO!" Mochida struggled in Ren's grasp, and he swung his arm out, catching Ren in the face with his elbow. Ren let go and stumbled back, his hand going up to the red mark on his jaw immediately. He reacted by grabbing Mochida by the collar again and throwing him to the ground. Mochida landed flat on his back, before jerking upright and yelling obscenities. Ryohei started running and it was like being charged by a rhinoceros. His feet thumped against the ground heavily as he let out a cry.

"Nii-san!" Kyoko exclaimed, standing up. Ryohei screeched to a halt.

"Is this guy bothering you?!" He demanded to know. Kyoko fidgeted, glancing at Ren, who was nursing his jaw. It seemed like she didn't want to be responsible for her brother crushing Mochida like an ant.

"Sasagawa-kun, Mochida is unfortunately choosing to challenge me to a fight." Tsuna informed him. "Which, as we all know, is against school rules. However, I don't wish for anyone else to get involved, so would you allow the DC to handle this?" Ryohei looked confused. Mochida sprang to his feet, all spit and snarl.

"I will fucking _pound_ you, Dame-Tsuna." Tsuna ignored the furious boy.

"Sasagawa-kun?" Ryohei looked to Kyoko, who looked to Hana. Hana was still standing up, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" She demanded to know. Tsuna looked at Mochida.

"The Disciplinary Committee is officially asking Mochida-san to withdraw his threats, and leave the school for the rest of the day, or further disciplinary action beyond physical will be taken. Additionally, it seems at this juncture that we should also ask Mochida-san to leave Sasagawa-kun alone, as he cannot seem to handle himself around her." He looked to both the angry boy on his left, and Hana, on his right.

"Doesn't matter to me, since you're not going to beat me. I'd like to see you _try_." Mochida said angrily. "You arrogant brat."

"Sasagawa-chan?" Tsuna asked her. "Are you okay with this? I don't mean to ignore you or make decisions on your behalf. But it seems to me, and please correct me if I am wrong, that you have politely turned away Mochida-san many times, and he refuses to abide by your wishes. And currently, as long as he doesn't violate school rules, there's not much the DC can do. But if you tell me that you wish for him to leave you alone and then he does not do so, the Disciplinary Committee can take action." Kyoko swallowed, and then nodded. Ryohei still looked confused. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kyoko touched his arm.

"We'll talk about it later, Nii-san. We should let the Disciplinary Committee handle this." She nodded again at Tsuna. "I would like for Mochida-san to leave me alone, now and in the future." Tsuna nodded back, and then turned to Mochida, who looked stunned.

"Mochida-san, I'll ask you again. Withdraw your threats, and leave the school for the rest of the day." The older boy stared at Tsuna for a moment, before he started to make a strange growling noise in his throat. Tsuna blinked, unsure of what he was doing.

And then Mochida spat in his face. It landed on Tsuna's cheek. It was gross and warm and Tsuna resisted the urge to freak out and fling it off his face. Ren made a noise, and Tsuna could see how bright red his fellow member's neck had gone in rage.

"Fuck. Off." Mochida said, before springing into action. He swung a punch at Tsuna's head, but Tsuna ducked under it, stepping forward. He stomped on the instep of Mochida's foot, causing the older boy to cry out and stumble, losing his balance. Tsuna punched Mochida in the stomach, swinging his elbow up as the dark-haired boy doubled over, to catch Mochida in the face. He connected with the older boy's nose, and bright red blood immediately spurted forth, staining Tsuna's own uniform, and eliciting a cry. He stumbled backwards a few more steps, hands going up to clutch his face, trying to stem the flow of blood.

"What the _fuck!_" He screamed. Tsuna grabbed Mochida by the face and shoved him as hard as he could, sending Mochida to the ground. There was a _thwack_ as he smacked his head on the shiny gym floor.

"_Holy shit_." Tsuna heard. He turned around to see the entire kendo club staring at the scene in disbelief. Even the pairs sparring had stopped, shinai against the ground. Their mouths were hanging open.

Tsuna wiped the spit off his face, turning back to the troublemaker in question. The dark-haired boy was holding his nose with one hand, and trying to push himself up for the other. Ren stepped forward, onto Mochida's hand.

"_What the fuck!"_ He yelled again, as Ren pushed him down.

"You'll stay down if you know what's good for you." He said ominously. Tsuna took a few steps forward.

"Mochida-san, when my friend here lets you up, you need to leave school property immediately. Or you _will_ be removed." Tsuna said, narrowing his eyes. "Do you understand me?" Mochida glared at Tsuna, but nodded. "Okay then. Please, let him go." Ren removed his foot. Mochida sprang to his feet, and stalked over to his backpack, grabbing it. He must have been highly aware of the eyes that followed him, still clutching his nose. He hefted it onto his shoulder, avoiding eye contact with anyone on his team.

"And Mochida-san, one more thing." Tsuna said. The older boy looked apprehensive. "In the future, I would recommend you refrain from commenting about our chairman, or any member of the Committee's relationship to him. Hibari-san does not take kindly to insults, and will not make any requests of you before taking disciplinary action."

Read: _he won't give you an out before he fucks you up_

Mochida stilled uncomfortably, eyes on Tsuna. It took Tsuna a moment before he realized Mochida was waiting for him to say something else.

"You may go, Mochida-san. That is all."

Once he had left the gym, Ren turned to the Kendo club and started shooing them away, demanding that they mind their own business, Tsuna turned back to Kyoko, Hana, and Ryohei.

"I'm sorry about that." He said. "I would have preferred not to fight." Ryohei took a step forward, eyeing Tsuna very seriously. He reached out, and placed a hand on Tsuna's shoulder. Or, intended to place. He was so ridiculously strong that it was a miracle Tsuna didn't fall down. Internally, he cringed, knowing there would likely be a bruise later.

"Sawada." He said solemnly. "That was...EXTREMELY COOL! YOU SHOULD JOIN MY BOXING CLUB!" Ryohei's pulled Tsuna into a hug, practically crushing his ribcage and shaking him like a rag doll. Tsuna let himself go limp, hardly being able to breathe.

"Sa..sagawa..kun..." He tried to wheeze out. Ryohei lifted him straight off the ground. Tsuna was beginning to sweat. The white-haired boxer was emitting heat like a furnace and had Tsuna crushed in his grip.

"Nii-san, maybe you should let Sawada-kun down?" Came the suggestion from Kyoko. Ryohei swung Tsuna around like a rag doll again, before setting him on the ground. Tsuna felt dizzy.

"Sorry Sawada! I just get so excited!" Ryohei said, ruffling his hair. Tsuna knew the top of his head must look like a bird's nest right about now. "You're like an extremely cool little brother!"

_Have I ever met him before?_

"I-it's no problem." Tsuna said, blinking. "Just doing my job as a DC member. If everything is okay here, I'll be heading out. Hibari-san will be wanting a written report."

"W-wait." Kyoko said suddenly. "You're in my class." Tsuna nodded.

"Yes, I am. Is there a problem, Sasagawa-chan?"

"She's wondering what the _hell_ happened to you, Dame-Tsuna." Hana said, arms crossed. Kyoko's eyes widened.

"Hana!" She exclaimed, looking uncomfortable. "You shouldn't say that." Hana threw her hands up.

"I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking. I've seen him trip over air." She jerked a thumb at Tsuna. "And now he laid out Mochida like it was nothing."

"Hibari-san puts us through rigorous training." Tsuna said.

"That's a ridiculous answer." Hana said with a snort. "How did you even _end up_ on the DC? Hibari's a violent freak. I don't know how you could get near him without becoming a smear on the pavement."

"That's a little harsh, Hana." Kyoko sounded concerned, but the way she glanced hesitantly at Tsuna made him realize she wanted to know too.

"Hibari-san has a unique disposition, is all." Tsuna said. "I really must be going-,"

"To write me a report?" Tsuna whipped around to see the chairman himself standing there, arms crossed, jacket hanging off his shoulders like always. He looked...unhappy to say the least.

"Hibari!" Tsuna shrieked. "You're like a ghost." Hibari swiped at Tsuna's head with his tonfa, which he dodged. It was fast, too fast for anyone else to dodge, but Tsuna got the feeling that Hibari didn't really intend to hurt him.

"Hn. You had much higher praise for me a moment ago. Did I not tell you to get out?" Hibari wanted to know.

"I did!"

"Get out of the _school_." Hibari snapped. "And instead, I find you making friends with the local wildlife."

"I'm not-,"

"Hibari!" Ryohei exclaimed. "Can Sawada join my boxing club?" Hibari looked pointedly at Tsuna.

"What did I say, you troublesome little animal?" He clicked his tongue. "Do I have to put you on patrol every night this week?" Hibari knew how much Tsuna hated patrol.

"Oh I get it now!" Kyoko exclaimed. "You and Hibari-san are friends! It makes perfect sense."

_Now she's pissed him off_.

"Little animal, you should make friends that don't get you into trouble with me." Hibari said flatly. "Now get out before I bite you to death." Tsuna opened his mouth. "Make a snarky comment. See what I do."

"Bye Hibari-san!" Tsuna booked it out of there.

XXXX

The next day at school, Hana and Kyoko sat next to him in class. It was abruptly curious; one moment Tsuna was sitting in the back of the room on his own. He was doodling a bird on his paper before class started. And then he wasn't alone anymore. Kyoko ad Hana plopped down on either side of him, Hana setting her feet on the rung of his chair.

"Sasagawa-chan?" Tsuna asked. "Kurokawa-chan?"

"You can call me Kyoko, Sawada-kun." Kyoko said. "It seems only right."

"Sasag-," Tsuna stopped himself. "Kyoko-chan, I only did what was required of me yesterday, as a member of the Disciplinary Committee." Kyoko just smiled at him.

"You have a kind heart, Sawada-kun. You know, I can tell."

"She means you're one of the only acceptable monkeys around here." Hana said. "Somehow, you've managed to defrost Hibari's cold, dead heart. You must be delusionally nice."

"Hibari-san doesn't have a cold, dead heart." Tsuna said. On the contrary, it was full of rage.

"Sounds like something someone delusionally nice would say." Hana countered.

"Kurokawa-chan-,"

"Gah, call me Hana. You make me sound like my mother."

"Hana-chan," Tsuna corrected himself. "I'm not delusional." She laughed.

"Sure."

"You should study with us, Sawada-kun." Kyoko suggested. "I think it would be fun." Tsuna scratched the back of his neck.

"You can call me Tsuna." He offered weakly. "You..guys don't need to be friends with me because you feel like you owe me something. You don't."

"Oh, I _know_ I don't owe you anything." Hana said.

"We just like your company, Tsuna-kun!" Tsuna rubbed his forehead.

"Well, alright then, Kyoko-chan, Hana-chan. If that's what you think." He tilted his head and smiled. "Then I would love to study with you sometime."

XXXX

Yeah, Tsuna's on the DC, but it's mostly in name. Hibari just wants to be able to dictate his life. He won't be on forever, because I don't think it really suits Tsuna's personality. Tsuna's about 13 by the end of this chapter, so we're getting closer to the start of canon.


	3. Chapter 3

Just a quick warning; this is the chapter that focuses on Yamamoto and when Tsuna talks him down.

Tsuna is like 13 here, btw. In this chapter and the last one.

Also! They're going to get more into mafia stuff when Gokudera shows up, which will be before Tsuna's brother is really introduced. Gokudera will make his debut via a series of misunderstandings and communications.

XXXX

_Will be late; I have been assigned clean up duty._

Tsuna tapped out the message quickly to Hibari, as their instructor tossed a broom to him.

"Get off your phone!" The instructor yelled, already turning away. They were rotating through students in alphabetical order to clean up after their physical education class and the letter S was up today. There actually were supposed to be two others helping him clean up, but one of them didn't show up to class and the other suddenly fell "ill" in the last 10 minutes. Tsuna sighed. It had been softball today, so he was responsible for sweeping up the baseball diamonds.

Someone had overturned a cart too and softballs had gone pouring out over the field. Instead of cleaning them up when they should have, they had kicked them around all period.

He spent a while cleaning them up before the sound of footsteps got his attention. He glanced up to see a familiar face walking towards him.

Hibari had a few kinds of walks; the first one was practically a run. Tsuna saw it when Hibari was rushing his "prey", when he sprang forward and attacked with such a ferocity it was shocking.

The second was almost a leisurely stroll; Tsuna thought of it as Hibari's "king of the castle" walk. It was when he was smug, which was often.

And the third type was the _stalking_. When he was _pissed_, he had a way of walking like a large cat stalking its prey. It came with stiff footsteps and barely contained annoyance or rage. Depending on how deeply offended Hibari's delicate sensibilities were, apparently.

And now Hibari was _stalking_ towards Tsuna. He came up to the outside of the fence and crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. He didn't even need to say anything. Tsuna rolled his eyes.

"I have to clean up, Hibari. Like any other student. I'm not special." Hibari set his jaw.

"The point of getting you on to the Disciplinary Committee was to remove you from these packs of herbivores. And every time I turn around, there you go. Acting like a herbivore." Needless to say, Hibari did not approve of Tsuna's new friends. "They attach themselves to you like gum on a shoe."

"Hibari, I still have to clean up when it's my turn." Hibari huffed.

"And where are the other herbivores?" Hibari asked. "Are they not supposed to clean up as well?"

"Not everyone takes their responsibilities so seriously." Tsuna reminded him.

"What are their names? I will bite them to death."

"Hibari, I'm not about to add to your hit list." Tsuna bent down to pick up another softball. "It won't take very long to clean up."

"Sawada-kun!" A voice called out to him. Tsuna straightened up, and turned to see Yamamoto, waving at him from across the field. They had class together, but Yamamoto had been packed off early to get ready for practice. He had already changed into clothes for practice. He had also grabbed a broom off the cart..Tsuna waved back and Yamamoto started jogging across the field, smiling fiercely. "Looks like you could use some help cleaning up!" He said. He sidled up to Tsuna, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Yamamoto-kun, you don't have to help me. I don't want you to be late for practice." Yamamoto grinned at him.

"Au contraire, I'm actually early for practice. So I should help you clean up! That way you can be out of here earlier."

Tsunan could actually _feel_ Hibari seething behind him.

"That's very kind of you, Yamamoto-kun." He smiled at him. Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck.

"No problem Sawada-kun! You're a good guy; I'd hate for you to have to do all this alone." Yamamoto suddenly pivoted, looking at Hibari. "Are you doing okay Hibari? You don't look so well."

The expression on Hibari's face made Tsuna want to laugh out loud.

"I should bite you to _death_, herbivore." Yamamoto tilted his head and laughed.

"You're a funny guy, Hibari. I'm gonna go sweep off the diamonds!" As Yamamoto walked away, Tsuna turned back to Hibari and shrugged.

"You could have offered to help, Hibari." He reminded him.

"I do not _sweep_." He departed with a dramatic turn, his jacket swinging almost like a cloak. Hibari had a flair for the dramatic.

It was true that Hibari was a psychotic delinquent who took great pleasure in beating down those he thought were lesser. That had much had not changed about the demonic chairman. But, Tsuna reflected, as he cleaned up the field, Hibari also acted like a long-suffering tutor. He liked Tsuna well enough; Tsuna had become certain of that over the past 6 months. Or he would not be training Tsuna, let alone placing him on the DC. But Tsuna also knew he exasperated Hibari to no end. It was certainly odd; Tsuna had watched Hibari viciously attack for the slightest offense. But Tsuna played on his nerves all day long apparently, and the most he received was a slap to the back of the head or a particularly brutal training session. The only other person of a similar status was Kusakabe, who still shared a closeness with Hibari that Tsuna didn't understand yet.

Tsuna didn't feel like he had changed a lot, since that fateful day on the baseball fields. But when he thought of how shaky and scared he was, stuttering and terrified, compared to now? He was different.

As he stacked the last of the equipment with Yamamoto, he thanked him again for his help.

"Thank you so much, Yamamoto-kun." The breeze wafted past, rustling Yamamoto's hair. He pushed it out of his face and gave Tsuna another cheery smile. It was a nice day out; the grass was the perfect shade of green and swaying in the wind. The air almost smelled sweet, and the afternoon sun was golden and bright. Tsuna glanced around the campus. From the baseball field to the houses nearby, it was almost an idyllic school day. There was a black van parked nearby on the street which briefly caught Tsuna's eye, as it was almost out of place, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

"No problem! Hibari seemed pissed, so I thought you could use a hand." He laughed a little. "What was he so upset about?" Tsuna gave Yamamoto a sheepish look.

"Ah, I'm late. I told him I was going to be, when I got assigned clean-up duty, but he felt he needed to complain about it in person." Yamamoto laughed, louder this time, heartily.

"That's funny! You two must be good friends."

"Uh, I don't know if I would call us that. He's touchy about that sort of thing." Yamamoto elbowed Tsuna lightly.

"Sounds like something a _friend_ would know." He teased him. Tsuna laced his fingers on the top of the broom, setting his chin on them.

"How are _you_, Yamamoto-kun? How's baseball been?" Something changed in Yamamoto's expression.

"Oh, it's been...good." He said, his voice light, but his eyes more serious. His smile never wavered, but something about it seemed different.

"Is something wrong, Yamamoto-kun?" Tsuna asked, his tone becoming concerned. Yamamoto glanced at him a little hesitantly.

"Well, you're a cool guy, Sawada-kun. Maybe I could run something by you?"

"Of course!" Yamamoto rubbed his neck.

"I haven't been doing so well lately. I mean, I've been okay, but it seems like no matter how hard I train, I'm not improving like I used to. I feel like I'm in a slump or something. My dad keeps telling me not to worry, but..." he drifted off.

"It's hard not to." Tsuna finished for him and Yamamoto nodded back. To be honest, Tsuna was around most days the team had a practice or a game at home. And Yamamoto was frighteningly good. Students stayed _away_ from the field when Yamamoto was practicing because the thought of accidentally getting hit by a ball he took a swing at was terrifying. Yamamoto wasn't just good or great at baseball; he was _excellent_. Tsuna hadn't noticed any kind of slump, but he also supposed he didn't have a particularly close relationship with the boy.

"I mean," Tsuna began thoughtfully. "I know you're worried Yamamoto, but you're also pretty young. And I don't mean that you can't have a serious passion about baseball and for it to be serious to you!" Tsuna said quickly. "I just mean that you're gonna grow a lot more, and that's gonna change your game too. I don't think you need to be too worried about being in a slump right now. As long as you keep practicing and take care of yourself, I think you'll be seeing the kind of improvement you want again in no time." Yamamoto seemed thoughtful.

"You think so?" Tsuna nodded.

"I do! You just have to remember to take care of yourself, Yamamoto-kun, even when you don't really want to. Have you talked to any of your friends about it?" Tsuna asked. Yamamoto blinked.

"My teammates? Um, no...not really." He shrugged. "They all really look up to me, and I don't want to overshare and burden them." Tsuna was shocked.

"I'm sure they don't feel that way, Yamamoto-kun. You're their friend. You could never burden them by sharing how you feel." Yamamoto laughed, almost nervously.

"You're too nice, Tsuna." He blinked, suddenly. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is it okay if I call you Tsuna?"

"Of course!" Yamamoto checked his watch.

"You should head out Tsuna! I don't want to make you any later for HIbari." He smiled again. "Thank you for talking with me. I feel a lot better now." He puffed up a little. "I'm just gonna keep training hard! Until I see the results that I want."

It wasn't _exactly_ what Tsuna said, but whatever.

"No problem, Yamamoto!" Tsuna packed away the broom and grabbed his stuff, heading out the gate.

He was walking through the building, glancing out the window back onto the baseball field, when he saw the door to the black van opened. Tsuna felt oddly suspicious, but there was nothing wrong or illegal about having a van, right? Besides, it had been there a while, and someone was probably finally going to move it, Tsuna rationalized. He kept walking, but kept an eye on it.

A dark-haired woman got out, walking across the street to the school. Tsuna stopped in his tracks. She didn't look Japanese; she looked more European, in Tsuna's opinion. And she wasn't a middle school student. She looked older than that, like an adult.

_And_ she was making a beeline for Yamamoto, who was still on the baseball field.

Tsuna spun on his heel, and sprinted back down the hall. HIs heart was pounding. Something was _wrong._

As he raced down the hallway, hearing calls of _no running in the hallway!_, Tsuna passed by a fellow DC member. He screeched to a halt, grabbed the pompadour-wearing individual by the armband, pulled him close, and said,

"Get Hibari. Right _now_."

As Tsuna sprinted down the hall, he saw flashes of the woman getting closer and closer to Yamamoto, beckoning him towards the fence. Tsuna also saw a few burly men, dressed in black suits, pile out of the van. Soon though, he was in the stairwell and couldn't see Yamamoto anymore, but the dread was building. When he burst through the doors, Yamamoto was nowhere to be found on the field. Tsuna could feel his heart pounding in his chest and the blood rushing in his ears. He leapt over the fence, feet landing in the dust, looking for any kind of clue.

Until he spotted a few drops of blood. It was near one of the baseball diamonds, looking almost like red paint in the dirt. Tsuna felt almost sick.

There were a few drops here and there, and Tsuna followed it across the baseball field, until he got to to one of the old athletic buildings. He knew there was a small covey where the newer main academic building meet the old athletic one. It was dark, quiet, and secluded. And that's where Yamamoto's blood was leading.

Tsuna steeled himself. If they _hurt_ Yamamoto...he would fight back. It was one thing for these _people_ to come after him. But his friends? His classmates?

That was _unacceptable._

He took a deep breath, and rounded the corner.

And there was Yamamoto, on his knees, on the ground. A gun pressed up against his head, in the hand of the slim, European woman who had exited the van. Her two burly cohorts were flanking her on either side, expressions neutral. But she was smiling.

Yamamoto smiled cheerily at Tsuna, blood dripping from his nose.

"Hey Tsuna! Long time no see, huh?" Tsuna wanted to smack himself in the forehead.

"Are you okay, Yamamoto-kun?"

"I'm just peachy!" he assured Tsuna. Tsuna looked up at the woman and held his hands up.

"Let him go." He said quietly. "I'll take his place, no questions asked." Yamamoto's expression changed abruptly, eyes widening.

"Tsuna-," Tsuna shook his head at him. The woman smiled like a snake.

"Perfect." She nudged Yamamoto's neck with her gun, causing the baseball player to shiver. "Stand up." Tsuna nodded at him.

"Please, Yamamoto-kun." Yamamoto looked bewildered, but he slowly stood up. He looked mostly together; he wasn't hyperventilating or freaking out. But then Tsuna saw his hands shaking. Of course they were; they were 13. They were too young to die like this.

One of them men flanking the woman took Yamamoto by the elbow, to guide him forward. Tsuna kept his hands up and walked forward slowly, almost like they were hostages trading places. He took his spot close to where Yamamoto had been, settling on his knees in the dirt. He was afraid; that was for certain. But less for himself, and more for Yamamoto. Because he knew exactly what he was going to do.

The woman leaned forward to place her gun against his head, turning her own to give a vicious smile to Yamamoto. Tsuna watched her put her balance on her front foot and look away; the best opportunity she could have given him. Faster than this woman certainly expected, he reached up, one hand grabbing the barrel of the gun and the other grabbing her wrist. He shoved the barrel up, twisting her wrist at the same time.

She _shrieked_ in surprise.

_CRACK! _

The gun fired into the wall as Tsuna rolled, yanking her forward and flinging her into the dirt. She was light and off-balance; a tight roll on his part pulled her off her feet, her hands releasing the gun. He held on tight, ignoring his burning fingers, wrestling it from her. He could barely hear anything; just ringing. He immediately flung the gun as far away as he could, suddenly feeling her nails digging into his hair, yanking his head back. It strained his throat, and he was vaguely aware of Yamamoto struggling against the burly hitman, getting knocked into the dirt. In their respective scuffles the dirt was getting kicked up, into Tsuna's eyes. It stung, but he ignored it.

Tsuna jerked his head to the side, so that he briefly saw the woman's face. Her mouth was open, shrieking, but he could barely hear it. She looked so _angry_, and one of her hands migrated down from his hair, nails going for his eye. He threw an elbow to the side, knocking her hand away, before balling up his fist and striking her across the face. Her head smacked back into the dirt, but she continued to yell.

At the same time, Tsuna felt himself being lifted off the ground, strong arms hooking under his shoulder and lifting him up. As he came up off her, she followed, springing forward, snarling. He scraped one leg against the ground, bracing himself even as he was being dragged away. He braced his other foot against the knee of the man behind him, kicking off as hard as he could and kicking the woman in sternum with his heavy boot. He heard a cracking noise, and it was like all the breath had been knocked out of her lungs. He saw her eyes go blank as she crumpled backwards.

Thank God Hibari made the DC wear steel-toed boots.

Meanwhile, the guy holding Tsuna had loosened his grip, bending forward so that he was pushing on Tsuna's back. He was howling in pain, almost releasing Tsuna as he clutched at his knee, which had certainly been dislocated. Tsuna ripped himself out of his grasp, and nailed him in the knee with a kick that made a horrible noise. The man's leg gave out as he shouted in pain, but Tsuna grabbed him by the head, pulling it forward as he brought his knee up as hard as he could.

_CRACK!_

The man collapsed backwards, the front of his face a bloody mess. Tsuna watched his eyes roll back into his head, jaw going slack. There were teeth coming out of his mouth.

And before Tsuna could even turn around, he heard two horrible cracking noises, one right after the other. He whipped around, to see the other hitman smack into the wall and crumple, unconscious. Hibari was hovering over Yamamoto, face unreadable.

And then there was Yamamoto.

The dark-haired boy was in the dirt, eyes scrunched shut. His face was twisted in pain, and he was clutching his left arm to his chest. Tsuna heard a small whimper come out of his mouth.

Tsuna wanted to throw up.

He dropped down into the dirt next to Yamamoto, as Hibari shifted away to inspect the other hitmen.

"Yamamoto!" He reached out to touch Yamamoto, but was unsure of what to do. Yamamoto let out a breath between clenched teeth, flicking his eyes up to Tsuna.

"So this is what a broken arm feels like, huh?" He said, his voice strained. "I've never had one before."

"Just...just lay still." Tsuna heard the crack in his voice. He felt like crying. "It's gonna be okay. You're going to be fine, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you." He could hear himself getting choked up, and he turned his head to the side, shutting his eyes, fighting back the tears pricking at them. Yamamoto let out a laugh.

"Aw, you're all worried for me, Tsuna! I'm not that badly injured, am I?" Tsuna let out a choked sound. Something between a laugh and a sob.

"I"m so sorry Yamamoto-kun. This is my fault. You shouldn't have gotten hurt." He let out a quiet sob, quickly wiping away tears on his face. A hand touched his shoulder.

"The baseball herbivore will recover." A voice over him said. "It's just a broken arm."

But Yamamoto was a _baseball player_.

Tsuna reached out and took Yamamoto's hand, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. He squeezed the dark-haired boy's hand tightly, clasping it between his own. He was being careful not to jostle the other, broken arm.

He stayed with Yamamoto until they got him into an ambulance. Tsuna wanted to ride with him to the hospital, feeling responsible for his injury. He was reaching to grab the edge of the ambulance, lifting one leg onto the edge to hop up. Yamamoto was sitting upright on the gurney. He gave Tsuna a pained smile when he saw his face.

"I'm okay, Tsuna! Really!" Tsuna opened his mouth to say something, when he felt a hand grab him by the back of his uniform and yank him away from the ambulance. His hand was unceremoniously ripped away from the edge. It stretched out towards Yamamoto, his mouth open in shock, as the paramedic slammed the doors shut. Before Tsuna knew it, the ambulance was peeling down the street.

And it was just Tsuna, Hibari, and the DC members cleaning up the mess he'd made.

Tsuna whirled around, tearing himself from Hibari's grasp.

"Why did you _do that_?" Tsuna snapped. "Pull me away?" Hibari stared him down.

"Don't be foolish, little animal." Tsuna felt _rage_.

"Hibari, he's hurt _because of me!_"

"And what if there are more hitmen? Do you _want_ to put your stupid herbivore in danger?" Hibari said tonelessly. "They are after _you_."

Tsuna was going to go fucking _feral_. He wanted to attack Hibari like a wild animal. He needed to do _something_ for Yamamoto. He needed to fight for him, to protect him. Not let him get knocked into the dirt like he had. Nose bloody, arm broken. He felt like he was about to start screaming. He would hurt whoever did this, if it killed him.

"He's not-," He knew his face was getting red. "Don't call him a stupid _herbivore_!"

"An herbivore is an he-" Tsuna took a swing at Hibari's head. The entire DC stopped in its tracks. Kusakabe's head snapped immediately to the side, his mouth opening in shock. Hibari stepped back and avoided it easily, eyes narrowing. "Don't get _cocky_." Hibari growled. "I will _bite you to death_."

"_Go to hell!" _ Tsuna fired back, lunging at Hibari. Hibari grabbed Tsuna's outstretched arm easily, but Tsuna pushed off the ground, using his momentum to put all his weight into another swing. Hibari blocked it with his elbow and struck Tsuna aside the head, sending Tsuna stumbling backwards. Hibari pressed onwards, tonfas sliding out of his sleeves. He was _snarling_, but so was Tsuna. Tsuna blocked his next blow, feeling his arms vibrating, but the force of it sent him sliding back. Another harsh blow sent him tumbling to the ground, but Tsuna sprang up immediately, attacking. After a flurry of movement, Hibari threw him to the side again, but Tsuna just got back up, lunging again. He took hit after hit, not caring. He barely even felt it, he was so filled with rage.

Somewhere, deep inside, he knew it wasn't Hibari he was angry at. It was himself. But Hibari had set him off.

Hibari grabbed Tsuna by the collar.

"Sawada Tsun-" He seemed to be trying to talk some sense into Tsuna, as angry as Hibari was. But Tsuna sank his teeth as deep into Hibari's arm as he could, which earned him a brutal blow that cracked his ribs. He held on anyways, digging his nails into Hibari's arm too. Hibari grunted and the next thing Tsuna knew, he was flat on his back, seeing stars. He felt something warm coming out of his nose, which was stinging, but he ignored it. He was dizzy, but he sprang back to his feet.

There was something inside that was driving him forward. Something _propelling _him. Like a burning at his core, a warmth that was spreading through his whole body. He barely felt the pain of the blows but he felt _itchy_. Restless. Like he wanted to keep hitting Hibari.

So he lunged forward again, but this time, battered and bruised as he was, Hibari caught him by the arms that had uselessly beat at his chest. He pulled Tsuna forward, trapping him.

"Tsunayoshi." Tsuna struggled, but Hibari pulled him even closer, forcing Tsuna to look at him. The burning hadn't stopped yet.

"_Let me go!_" Tsuna screamed in his face.

"Calm. Down."

"I said-," His hands were itching, they were _burning_. "LET ME GO!" Something bright _burst_ from his hand, and he shut his eyes, the brightness shocking. He felt weightless.

When he opened his eyes, he was flat on his back on the ground, staring up at a blue sky. His vision was swimming, to say the least. He was probably concussed, he concluded.

Kusakabe's face came into view.

"Tsuna-kun?" Tsuna blinked. All his rage was gone. So was the burning. It was like it had just drained out of his body.

He slowly sat up, Kusakabe backing up as he did so. His head was _pounding._

"Am I hallucinating?" He asked.

"No." Kusakabe said. "No you are not."

The grass around him was flattened. And...black and crispy. Tsuna ran a hand over it and it broke apart into ash at his touch. He stared, shocked.

What could have possibly done this?

Eventually, his eyes flitted up to Hibari. Hibari, the demon of Nami Chuu. Hibari, who was on his ass, 20 feet away, mouth open in shock.

Tsuna had never seen Hibari look shocked before.

"Your hands." Kusakabe said. Tsuna looked down. At first glance he thought they had been burnt, but they didn't hurt. So when he brushed them, pieces of ash and charred material came off, revealing the smooth, unburnt skin underneath. So where had...?

He looked a little closer at Hibari and realized the front of the skylark's uniform was charred and torn. Tsuna would have ducked his head and hesitated to meet Hibari's eyes, but he was _staring_.

"Hibari?" Tsuna asked timidly. "A-are you okay?" Hibari didn't answer, just slowly stood up. He approached Tsuna slowly, and Tsuna could only imagine the retribution he was about to face. Attacking Hibari? _Biting him_? Screaming in his face and then somehow _launching_ him like a roll of paper towels?

If he beat Tsuna half to death, Tsuna wouldn't be surprised.

But, Tsuna realized, Hibari wasn't stalking. He was just...walking. And when he got close enough, he leaned over Tsuna, nose scrunching slightly.

"Hi-," Tsuna let out a squeak as Hibari's arm shot out, grabbing his wrist. He pulled Tsuna's hands up, inspecting them. He brushed some more charred uniform off of Tsuna's hands, seemingly unconcerned about the state of it. He examined them closely, and then crouched down. He was uncomfortably close to Tsuna.

"Hibari?" Tsuna said. No response, just uncomfortable staring. "I'm really sorry, Hibari. I was just so angry, and I know I wasn't really angry about you, I was really angry at _myself_, and I couldn't-," Hibari wrinkled his nose.

"Stop talking." Tsuna closed his mouth. A ripple of anger ran over him, but he quashed it, lest he forget what happened literal moments ago.

Though, nothing prepared him for what came out of Hibari's mouth next.

"Can you do that again?"

XXXX

The answer to that question, was _no._

In fact, Tsuna would say Hibari was a little disappointed that Tsuna couldn't burn him to a crisp.

"I have no idea what that was, Hibari." Tsuna said. "I mean it. I don't remember that ever happening to me before." They were on the roof again. Hibari leaned against the fence, pensive.

"If I make you angry, do you think you can do it again?" Hibari asked seriously. Tsuna's mouth fell open.

"Are you _kidding _me?" Hibari blinked. "I bit you! Like some kind of feral animal!"

They both looked...terrible. Tsuna was covered in bruises, namely a black eye and a split lip. His nose wasn't broken, thankfully. But there was blood smeared all over his face like something out of a horror movie. His ribs were cracked, he was limping, and his head hurt like hell. Even Hibari didn't look great. His uniform was trashed, charred beyond belief. Not to mention the fact that he had a giant bleeding bite mark in his arm. He had wrapped it with a cloth, almost absent-mindedly. It was frankly disgusting, and Tsuna's jaw actually hurt from sinking his teeth into Hibari.

"Hibari, please let me clean that out." Tsuna begged him. "Human mouths carry so much bacteria. If you get an infection from me biting you in your goddamn arm, I'm going to be so upset. I will break down and cry. I mean it. I can't take this right now." The last part seemed kind of obvious, given his near psychotic break a half hour earlier. Hibari waved his hand dismissively.

"You somehow produced an explosion strong enough to throw me. I have bigger concerns." Tsuna sighed, rubbing at his forehead.

"Hibari, I'm so sorry. I am _so _sorry. I've never melted down like that before. I just...this is hard on me. No one else has gotten hurt like this before. And I lost it." Hibari snorted. "Do you find this funny? How are you not _angrier_?" The skylark straightened up.

"Oh, believe me, Sawada Tsunayoshi. If you ever attack me like that again, I will kill you." The coldness in Hibari's voice sent a shiver down Tsuna's spine. "...but I think I prefer you more now." Tsuna wanted to bang his head against a wall immediately.

"Why?" He demanded. "What about me attacking like I was having a psychotic break and taking a chunk out of your arm makes you like me?" Hibari's mouth cracked open in a smile that was full of teeth. It was actually disturbing.

"Strength."

Hibari wasn't right in the head, Tsuna concluded.

It was like the skylark could read his mind; he rolled his eyes at Tsuna.

"That little episode, flames included, confirmed what I already believed to be true."

"Like what?" Tsuna demanded. Hibari's eyes gleamed viciously and he took a step towards Tsuna.

"That you're not like those herbivores. That underneath this fluffy exterior-," He poked Tsuna's gravity-defying hair. ", -you might even be a carnivore."

"I'm not-,"

"Fire shot out of your hands." Hibari interrupted flatly. Tsuna groaned, and the deep breath he took caused his side to sting. He breathed in sharply. His body hurt. "Tetsuya will take you home." The chairman decided, eyeing his injured student. Tsuna started to protest, but was in too much pain to continue for very long. "We still don't know if that was all of them and you are far from top condition. If you feel that you can produce fire out of your hands at will, then by all means." Hibari gestured at him. "Go home by yourself."

"I'm not in that bad condition." Tsuna said weakly.

"Stay home tomorrow, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari ordered. "It does me no good if you get yourself killed. The DC will watch the house. Head down to the office." Tsuna grumbled, but he really wasn't in any condition to be going home by himself. As he was walking to the door, he paused.

"You called me by my name." Tsuna said.

"And what of it?" Hibari responded tonelessly.

"You never call me by my name. Herbivore, little animal. But not my name." Hibari's expression was unreadable.

"I...do not know what you are. Not an herbivore, not _just_ a little animal-," Was that offensive? "-, not carnivore yet. I am deciding what category you fit into." Tsuna blinked.

"You can just call me by my name, I guess." Tsuna offered. "I don't have to fit into a category."

"Hn." It was clear Hibari was done talking, so Tsuna headed down the stairs.

XXXX

It was an awkward walk home, to say the least.

What do you say?

_Sorry I attacked your best friend like a feral animal and then launched him 20 feet with flames?_

XXXX

When Tsuna came back to school, there was an odd energy.

Granted, that may have just been around him. He was still sporting a black eye and a split lip, though they had healed much more than he thought they would have. He had avoided Nana all day, claiming a disgusting flu that confined him to his room. She had been hesitant to leave him alone, but agreed to protect his dignity. He'd had to sneak downstairs to get frozen foods to apply to his various injuries.

But when Tsuna spotted Yamamoto in the halls, he knew exactly what was going on. The baseball player was surrounded by people, all of them worried about his broken arm. It was in a sling, a cast on the forearm. He was smiling, telling people not to worry. But Tsuna could tell how empty it was. He knew how much Yamamoto loved baseball; they had been talking about it moments before the attack. And he could take a guess as to what this injury would mean to him. Even though he would recover, it was a devastating blow.

Tsuna felt tears stinging at his eyes, and he turned his head away so he wouldn't cry.

They were just _kids_.

Tsuna hid in an alcove down the hallway while people swarmed Yamamoto. He wasn't ready to face him yet.

Eventually, the bell rang and people scrambled away, leaving Yamamoto alone in the hallway. Tsuna peeked and immediately felt sick. The moment the last person had left, the smile had been wiped from Yamamoto's face. It looked blank and empty. Tsuna pushed himself to leave the alcove.

"Yamamoto-kun?" He asked gingerly. The taller boy turned to face him. The fake smile returned to his face.

"Tsuna!" He said. "How're you doing?" He noticed Tsuna's condition. "Did something else happen?" Tsuna waved a hand.

"Uh, no. I'm fine." he shuffled forward, attempting to hide his limp. "How are _you_, Yamamoto-kun?" The baseball player laughed, and rubbed the back of his head. Tsuna wished he wouldn't pretend to be happy when he so clearly wasn't.

"I'm okay! Baseball season is over, I guess." He joked. "Guess I have nothing to live for now." He played it off like a joke, but Tsuna felt nauseous.

"Yamamoto-kun, it's okay to be upset. This shouldn't have happened. You were put in danger." Yamamoto shrugged.

"Yeah, I don't know why those delinquents attacked us. It's pretty crazy, isn't it? I mean, who would imagine!" He said cheerfully. "Good thing Hibari was there. You were pretty cool too, Tsuna. You should show me some of that stuff some time." He swung one of his arms in a karate chop motion, but accidentally jostled the other. A brief look of pain flitted across his face, but was quickly replaced with a smile. "I'm really sorry Tsuna, but I think I have to get to class. It was good talking to you though!"

"You too, Yamamoto-kun..." He watched Yamamoto drift off down the hallway.

Tsuna wasn't ready to go to class yet, so he wandered the halls instead. Hibari would probably be mad. Or maybe not. Who even knew, anymore.

He was walking around for a while, probably about twenty minutes. He finally settled by one of the windows, wanting to just look outside. It wasn't as nice out as it had been before. Instead, it was grey and overcast. No rain yet, but it felt like it was coming.

He had been staring out the window for a while, when he finally saw it.

A figure, on the roof. A figure, with the same height, same build, and same hair as Yamamoto Takeshi.

Tsuna started running.

XXXX

He burst onto the roof, blood rushing in his ears. Some parts of the roof had fences, that would box them in. They were high, almost impossible to climb to prevent falls.

This part of the roof did not have a fence. And there was Yamamoto, standing on the ledge, feet planted firmly, staring down. He turned when the door opened, face deadly serious, even when he saw Tsuna.

"Hey Tsuna." He said. "Thought you had to be in class. I didn't want to keep you earlier." Tsuna stopped in his tracks.

"I could say the same thing of you." Came his weak response. "Yamamoto-kun. Please. _Please_ step away from the ledge." His head was screaming at him. Yamamoto let out a cold laugh.

"Can't do that Tsuna, sorry. Baseball God has thrown me away. Don't really have anything left, you know?" Tsuna took another step forward, fighting back tears.

"Yamamoto-kun...all those people. They _care_ for you." Yamamoto snorted derisively.

"They don't. They care about my ability to play baseball. They just want to be seen acting sympathetic. They won't care about me anymore." He looked down over the edge again. "Now that I can't do anything, I'm just a burden on the people around me."

"Yamamoto-kun, that's not true!" Tsuna's eyes were shining with tears. "And just because you won't be able to play baseball for a few weeks doesn't mean you can't do anything." Yamamoto threw back his head in what would have been a laugh.

"They don't know how it's gonna heal, Tsuna. There's a good chance this is it. Baseball is over for me. I've got nothing." He glanced at Tsuna, looking mournful. "I'm sorry you fought so hard just for me to jump off this roof. I shouldn't have burdened you like that. It looks like Hibari got you for "disturbing the peace" or whatever." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Tsuna. I just messed you all up."

"Yamamoto-kun, please. Just look at me." It took a second, but Yamamoto slowly turned to look at Tsuna. His eyes were dead. And every time he shifted his weight on the ledge, it made Tsuna nervous. "Hibari didn't bite me to death for disturbing the peace." Tsuna confessed. "When he pulled me off the ambulance, I lost it. I attacked him. I was so upset, that you had gotten hurt. That I couldn't protect you. That he dragged me away from you when you deserved someone there to hold your hand." Yamamoto blinked, staring at Tsuna for a moment. Before smiling. It was almost real.

"You really attacked Hibari?" He asked. "Oh _man_, that's wild."

"He tried to restrain me and I bit him." Tsuna confessed. Yamamoto laughed, and this one was real. Tsuna took another step forward. "Yamamoto, it's my fault you got hurt in the first place. Those people were after me, not you. And you got caught in it." Yamamoto tilted his head.

"I don't understand."

"They were trying to kill me." A brief look of alarm passed over his face.

"You're joking." Tsuna shook his head, biting his lip. "So when you...offered to trade places with me. They were really going to shoot you in the head?"

"I mean, they planned to." Yamamoto's eyes widened.

"And you traded places with me like that anyways?" His voice cracked. "They were going to kill you. Why would you do that for me?"

"Because I care about you, Yamamoto-kun. I know we don't know each other that well. But I care about you. And it has nothing to do with baseball; if you never played again, it wouldn't change what I think about you." Tsuna said, and he wiped away the tears springing to his eyes. "You always say hi to me. Wave to me every day. Ask me how I am. Even when other people treated me like shit. That's what I remember about you, Yamamoto-kun. When I was gone one day, you noticed. And that's what matters to me."

"You put your life on the line for that?" Yamamoto asked incredulously. "Because of _that_?" Tsuna nodded.

"You have a kind heart, Yamamoto. And that's what matters about you, not whether or not you play baseball." Yamamoto looked down again, and then out over the rooftop.

His hands were shaking.

Tsuna took a step forward, and held his own hand out.

"Please, Yamamoto-kun. I want you around." Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea." He murmured. "I think...I would be sad if I didn't see you again, Tsuna." He turned, slowly. "Is it alright if I take your hand?" Tsuna nodded, and Yamamoto slowly reached out. The moment Tsuna felt the dark-haired boy's hand in his own, he breathed a sigh of relief. His head was killing him, he was so stressed.

Though, he thought it would have been alleviated by getting Yamamoto to take his hand. Not feel worse.

_Creakkkkk_

Both boys' heads turned at the same time.

Tsuna's heart skipped a beat when he saw the metal of the gun glint in the grey light.

He could dodge. But if he did, there was no guarantee it wouldn't hit Yamamoto.

So he would stand his ground.

He released Yamamoto's hand, and spun around.

"RUN!" He screamed.

_Crack!_

Tsuna thought he was familiar with pain. He'd been bullied for years. He trained with Hibari on a daily basis. And after his fight with Hibari, he thought he knew what pain was like.

He knew _nothing_ about pain.

The bullet ripped into his shoulder and he stumbled backwards, blood pouring from the wound. He could barely see straight; the pain was white-hot. He felt his legs the ledge, and he grappled for the edge as he realized he was in danger of toppling over.

A hand shot out and pulled him away. He stumbled forward, falling to the ground, on his hands and knees. It wasn't until he met Yamamoto's eyes that he realized he was screaming.

Yamamoto who wasn't _running_.

"Yamamoto." He rasped out, unable to move. "_Run!_" A sudden blow to his back sent him onto his forearms. He thought he was going to throw up.

"Shut the fuck up." Came the voice of the hitman. "You little fucking brat. Fucked up the others, didn't you? Don't think I'm gonna let you die quickly." Yamamoto stumbled backwards and fell, his face contorting in pain as he tried to soften his fall.

"Tsu-," Something sharp ripped diagonally across his back, the skin splitting open like butter. Warmth poured out. Tsuna was so dizzy he couldn't tell if he was screaming or not.

Yamamoto was.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" The hitman was pointing something at Yamamoto.

"Shut the fuck up. Or I'll cut your tongue out." There was another slice, diagonally. Tsuna's head fell into the gravel. He couldn't keep it up anymore. His vision kept flashing black. He didn't know if it was the pain or blood loss.

Something hit his head.

"Stop screaming." Came the order. Had he been screaming? The hitman clicked his tongue. "I'm gonna have to cut your tongue out. Or this is going to get troublesome." Gloved hands pulled Tsuna's head up, and his eyes rolled back into his head, his vision going black completely. He could still hear Yamamoto though, or so he thought.

Those hands were grabbing at his jaw, and he could swear he felt the blade against his mouth. It was hot, from cutting open his back. But then there was a loud banging noise; and the hands let him go. His head hit the gravel again, but he could hear thumps and bangs. Suddenly, there were hands in his hair, touching his back gingerly. It hurt, but they weren't _hurting_ him.

"It's gonna be okay, Tsuna. It's gonna be okay." Came the whisper, those same hands stroking across his forehead.

And then a cry for help; what sounded like a scream of terror.

A whimper, and then nothing else.

He was being flipped over, he realized. And then there were arms around him.

A familiar face swam into view. But the eyes were almost unrecognizable. Grey, as always. But with a new expression. Concern, perhaps.

And then Tsuna woke up in the hospital.

The beeping of the machines was almost soothing, but the bright, fluorescent lights were decidedly _not_. Tsuna blinked, eyes stinging. He was staring up into the light, he realized.

He wanted to move, but his body was so impossibly heavy and stiff. He tried to shift his upper body, but pain ripped through him and he whimpered audibly.

A warm hand grasped his wrist, and Tsuna turned his head slowly in the direction of the hand. His back was screaming at him.

Messy, black hair that nearly obscured gray eyes. Hard set to the jaw, black jacket across his shoulders. He knew that face, that look.

Kind of.

The eyes looked tired. The hair looked...dirty? There were dark circles he didn't remember being there before. And the jacket was there, but it wasn't around his shoulders like normal. It was draped over his chest, like a blanket.

"H-hibari?" He whispered. His throat was sore, almost impossibly dry.

"Rest." Came the quiet voice. "You need to rest."

"Is Yamamoto okay?" Tsuna whispered, ignoring HIbari's order.

"He is asleep in the chair." Tsuna turned his head slowly, but painfully, to look in the other direction.

And sure enough, there was Yamamoto. All long and lanky, too long limbs tucked into a way too small chair. His head was lolling backwards, mouth open as he slept, snoring softly. He didn't look - or smell - so good either. His clothes looked worn, and there was an admittedly foul odor emanating from his wide-open mouth. His shoes were on, but the laces were undone and pulled out.

Tsuna smiled. He turned his head back to Hibari.

"Is everything okay?" Tsuna asked. He was tired; he wanted to know the details later, but not now. He just need to know if everything was okay. Hibari understood.

"Yes." Tsuna let out a sigh of relief, relaxing into the pillow.

"Thank you, Hibari." He closed his eyes.

"Kyoya." Tsuna opened his eyes again.

"Eh?" Hibari was looking away. If Tsuna wasn't a little bleary-eyed still, he would say there was a faint dusting of pink in Hibari's face.

"Kyoya. You can call me Kyoya."

"Alright, Kyoya." Tsuna yawned. His eyes were closed again.

"Go to sleep, Tsunayoshi."

XXXX

Just saying, Yamamoto is one of my favorites.


	4. Chapter 4

So Tsuna's figuring out the Dying Will flames. They won't be named for a while since without Reborn it doesn't really make a lot of sense for him to know what they are. He's gonna learn to use them, if it kills Hibari.

XXXX

Tsuna healed in eleven days.

They had started to realize that something was wrong by the second day, when his wounds were healing faster than they should have. Hibari had immediately ordered him transferred to the private, VIP wing and the Hibari family's private doctor had taken over Tsuna's medical care.

Tsuna hadn't known how filthy rich Hibari was until then.

The skylark in question hovered around him curiously while Tsuna was in recovery; in the first day or two, Tsuna was sure it was concern. After all, Tsuna had almost died. His wounds were extensive. But once it became clear that Tsuna was healing rapidly, it was curiosity. Hibari was there every day when the doctor checked the progress of his healing, leaning over his shoulder. He looked like he wanted to poke and prod Tsuna, but refrained from doing so.

Yamamoto came every day as well. He had initially refused to leave, but Tsuna insisted that was unnecessary. So instead, Yamamoto came after school every day. They didn't tell him Tsuna was healing rapidly, but he seemed to realize something was up. He was there one day as the doctor was checking the progress of his wounds; when the doctor announced Tsuna would be going home sufficiently healed in a matter of days.

Yamamoto had rubbed his jaw.

"You heal fast, Tsuna." He said. "That's pretty interesting."

Tsuna went home after four days. He probably could have gone home in three, but they were so shocked by the rate at which he was healing that they made him stay another for observation. They sent him home after that, with Hibari's family doctor making house visits. Tsuna stayed home from school one more day, but on the sixth day, he felt like he could make it through the day and attended.

The official story to the school and his mother was that he had been mugged. It was the best thing Tsuna could come up with when Nana had rushed into his hospital room, tears streaming down her face. Hibari had apparently called her, said, "Your son is in the hospital" and hung up.

Tsuna probably needed to have conversation about tact with him.

And now Hibari had been in his _house_.

It had surprised him, the first day he came by to see the progress of his wounds. He had been laid up in bed, balancing his laptop on his stomach. It would have been nice to sit downstairs on the couch instead of being holed up in his room, but he didn't really _want_ Nana to see his injuries. And he couldn't maneuver very well yet.

"Tsu-kun!" Came the shout up the stairs. He had left his door open. "Dr. Tanaka and your friend is here!"

_Yamamoto?_ He thought.

"I'm going to send them up if that's okay!"  
"Yeah, Mom!" He called back. "That's fine!" He heard a quiet giggle, and then,

"What is your name? I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Tsu-kun's friends yet!"

"Hibari Kyoya." If Tsuna wasn't afraid of hurting himself, he would have bolted upright in his bed.

"Nice to meet you, Hibari-san! Tsu-kun can be a little useless sometimes, but he's so lucky to have good friends like you!"

Footsteps on the stairs had Tsuna scrambling to move his laptop off his stomach and prop himself up. Well, he said _scrambling_, but in reality they were very slow and ginger movements.

He spotted the dark-haired boy through his cracked door, and softly called out to them.

The doctor entered first, all business. He immediately set down his medical kit and started going through it. Hibari hovered behind the doctor, taking in Tsuna's room, expressionless. Tsuna's room had become...almost bare and outdated. He had been busy the past few months with Hibari and his room no longer reflected him. When posters fell down, he just took them off. So there was a poster or two up for some anime Tsuna had been into months ago. Some books strewn about. A messy desk, a little table with a glass of water sitting on it. It was certainly lived in, some clothes lying on the floor. But it wasn't really personalized any more.

"There are three bedrooms in this house." He informed Tsuna. Tsuna nodded.

"One for my brother." Hibari turned suddenly.

"You have a brother?" He asked. "I have not seen him at school." Tsuna shook his head.

"He's two years older than me and studying in Italy. He doesn't come home a lot; maybe a few weeks a year." Hibari made a curious noise. "His name is Ietsuna."

The skylark reached out and picked up a photo on Tsuna's desk, while Dr. Tanaka started checking Tsuna's vitals. He slowly helped Tsuna sit up, Tsuna leaning against the wall for support.

Hibari showed the photo to Tsuna.

"Is this him?" It was a photo of Tsuna when he was six, and Ietsuna when he was eight. Their heads were pressed together, both smiling. They looked alike in the photo but not so much since Tsuna had last seen Ietsuna.

"Yeah." Tsuna said, as the cold metal of the stethoscope touched his chest. He shivered. Hibari set the photo back down, before his eyes were drawn to the other photo sitting on Tsuna's desk. It was a _very_ old one. Tsuna could tell, because his father was actually in it.

Tsuna looked to be about three or four in the photo. In it, his father was helping him balance, smiling behind him. He was in a tank top and shorts, looking cheerful. It was taken in their own backyard, if Tsuna remembered correctly.

It made Tsuna angry to look at.

"Can you turn that one over?" He asked quietly. "I don't want to look at it." Hibari complied, placing the frame downwards.

"Is it your father?" Hibari was curious.

"Yes." Tsuna said. He wanted to rub his face, but his body hurt too much. "I'm just...angry." That was an understatement. "I don't know what else to say about it, except that I'm angry at him."

"You should be." Hibari responded. He was leaning against Tsuna's desk, arms crossed. "He has caused a lot of trouble and distrubed the peace in Namimori. If he were to show up here again, I would bite him to death for such disruptions." Tsuna laughed, and then wheezed.

"Don't make me laugh, it hurts."

"I'm going to unbutton your shirt." Dr. Tanaka informed him. "I need to look at your wounds." They had recommended shirts he could take on and off with one hand and were easy to remove in the hospital, so the shirt Tsuna was wearing was actually a pajama shirt.

"That's fine." Tsuna said. "Who knows if he'll be back. Sometimes I think he's left us for certain, but then he calls and pretends like nothing is wrong."

"What about your brother?" Hibari asked. Tsuna blew out a breath.

"I don't know. I don't talk to him much anymore. It's hard to remember a lot, to be honest." He admitted. "I get not wanting to come back though. He's been away for four years now. His life isn't here." Dr. Tanaka had laid him down again and was slowly taking the dressing off his shoulder. Tsuna made a noise of pain between clenched teeth. It didn't hurt terribly; but it _hurt_.

"You don't need them." Hibari said dismissively. "They would only hinder you." Tsuna couldn't tell if Hibari was trying to be comforting or not, but he wasn't great at it.

"I don't think about them a lot anymore." Tsuna said, blinking up at the ceiling. "Honestly, I do forget they were ever here."

"As you should." Hibari informed him. "A hawk does not think about mice that are not here." He glanced around Tsuna's room again. "I do not like your mother very much either." Hibari was nothing if not honest.

But that one was new. Almost everyone liked Nana.

"Why not?" Tsuna asked, curious.

"She seems to be clueless." Tsuna was lucky that Hibari refrained from calling her an herbivore to Tsuna's face.

"I mean, I've tried to keep her out of it."

"About you, idiot." Hibari said. "She's clueless about you." Tsuna didn't know if he really understood what Hibari was saying.

"Incredible." Dr. Tanaka whispered, cutting their conversation short. Hibari pulled himself off Tsuna's desk to hover over him. Tsuna felt a finger poking his bullet wound. "Look how much it has healed. This is _weeks_ of progress. In _days_."

After they had left, Nana came up to Tsuna's room to see if he needed anything.

"I'm very thankful that Dr. Tanaka comes out to see you." She said, tidying up the clothes on the floor. She was smiling softly, but looked a little hesitant. "Your friend seems...nice."

Tsuna wasn't sure how to respond. It's not like he could say _He's not, but it's okay to say it._

It was so strange, that after eleven days his wounds were completely closed. Sure, he was still bruised, his back and shoulder sore beyond belief. But Hibari's family doctor had said that the bruises were not only from the initial injuries, but likely due to the rapid healing. It made Tsuna stiff and tired and gave him some difficulty getting through the day at school, but he could pop some painkillers and power through for most of the day. He had gotten a pass for gym though. He couldn't imagine trying to play something like soccer in his condition.

So during gym class, even for the week after his wounds had closed, him and Yamamoto sat on the bleachers together, watching their classmates run around.

And in that time, Tsuna told him everything. From the attempts on his life when he was young to what had occurred recently. He even told him about the flames. Tsuna thought he was going to have to get the whole DC to vouch for him, since he couldn't replicate it for proof, but Yamamoto just accepted it like it was the most reasonable thing in the world.

The baseball player had been taking it surprisingly well. In fact, Tsuna would even say that he had been _protective_ of Tsuna. They stuck together constantly throughout the day; Yamamoto with his broken arm, Tsuna bruised to hell.

"Well, Tsuna." Yamamoto said one day. "It seems to me like you could use someone to watch your back." Tsuna tilted his head.

"Takeshi, you don't need to do that." Tsuna said. "You're my friend. I don't need anything from you. Just you." Yamamoto laughed, and ruffled his hair.

"Don't you worry, Tsuna. I want to do this. You're _my_ friend, and I'm not gonna let anything like this happen to you ever again." He winked at Tsuna. "I always have your back." He tapped his broken arm. "At least, once this is done healing up." It was healing well, apparently.

"Takeshi, I don't want you to get hurt-," Yamamoto shook his head.

"I'll just have to get stronger then, won't I?" It wasn't even a question; it was Yamamoto stating his decision. "Don't you worry about a thing, Tsuna."

Oh, Tsuna was going to worry.

XXXX

When Tsuna was appropriately healed for Hibari, the skylark had decided it was time to elicit that same flame. They were training on the roof, like always. But this time, Yamamoto was accompanying Tsuna. He was sitting off to the side, watching.

"What's the plan?" Tsuna asked. Hibari narrowed his eyes, raising his tonfas.

"The plan is I beat you until the flame comes out."

"That's a terrible plan." Tsuna pointed out.

Hibari attacked anyways.

They fought for a while, Hibari having the upper hand, as usual.

Finally, Tsuna collapsed backwards onto the pavement, breathing heavily.

"No more." He huffed. "I'm done." Hibari hovered over him, irritated.

"Bring out your flame, Tsunayoshi."

"I _can't_."

"Hn." The skylark spun on his heel and turned away, moving back into position. "Get up. We're going again." Tsuna groaned.

"What were you thinking about when you attacked Hibari?" Yamamoto asked suddenly.

"Herbivore." Hibari snapped. But Tsuna sat up and turned to Yamamoto.

"What do you mean, Takeshi?" Yamamoto shrugged.

"I mean, it's like baseball." Hibari made a noise. "Most of the game is up here." Yamamoto tapped the side of his head. "Everyone trains; everyone works hard and is in great physical condition. But it's what's up here that sets apart a good player from a great player." Tsuna considered his words.

"I don't know. I was so angry, I just wanted...to hurt him. I guess." Tsuna rubbed his neck nervously, glancing at Hibari. Hibari seemed not to care.

"Would you say you had a goal?" Yamamoto asked. "Something more specific, besides just training."

"I guess?" Tsuna admitted. "It felt different from training. A lot different."

"So then it must be mental! Maybe it's about your resolve." Yamamoto suggested. "What about you, Hibari? What's the source of your resolve?" Hibari looked irritated.

"When I want to do something, I just do it. I don't need some silly reason to push myself."

Why did he have to be so _weird_?

"What do you think, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna scrubbed at his face.

"I don't know. I don't think I can just summon that feeling at will. Not now, at least." Tsuna got back onto his feet. He sighed. "Let's just keep going, Kyoya. I'll think on it." Hibari nodded back.

Yamamoto waved his hand at Hibari.

"Hey, Hibari! You're pretty good at this. Do you think you could train me too when I'm all healed up?" Hibari glared at Yamamoto.

"I don't train herbivores." Yamamoto rubbed his jaw.

"So Tsuna isn't an herbivore?" He asked. "That's interesting!"

"Obviously not." Hibari said. "Now, we will continue." He ordered, gesturing at Tsuna with a tonfa.

"Wait, Tsuna! Do you know who you should talk to about resolve?" Yamamoto certainly didn't notice, but Tsuna could see a vein standing out on Hibari's neck.

"Another one of your _ceaseless_ interruptions?" Hibari snapped. "What a surprise." Yamamoto only smiled.

"What were you going to say, Takeshi?" Tsuna asked. So maybe he enjoyed tormenting Hibari a little bit.

"I think you should talk to Ryohei. That guy is _driven._ I bet he could help you out. As long as he doesn't talk you into joining his boxing club." Yamamoto joked. The murderous look that crossed Hibari's face told Tsuna _no_. He could only imagine what was going through Hibari's head. Something about _herbivores attaching themselves to you like gum on a shoe_.

"That's a good thought." Tsuna said. "I'll go find him tomorrow."

"Are you _done_?" Hibari said impatiently. He was itching to continue. Tsuna sighed, and turned back to Hibari.

"Alright, alright. I'm ready."

"Hey, actually one more thing." Yamamoto said, raising his hand like they were in class. He was smiling cheerfully. Hibari's head was going to explode.

"_What_?" The skylark was seething.

"Ah, nothing this time. I just thought it would be funny."

There was a _whoosh_ as the tonfa went flying through the air, colliding with Yamamoto's head so hard it almost knocked him over, before clattering to the ground.

XXXX

Ryohei was a great guy; he was enthusiastic, kind, cheerful, and driven. But the key word was _enthusiastic_. As much as Tsuna liked him, he did _not_ want to join Ryohei's boxing club. And now that Ryohei had seen Tsuna fight, he had been pestering him to no end about it. At one point, Tsuna, Kyoko, and Hana had been in the library studying. Ryohei had dropped by to see his little sister and enthusiastically pleaded with Tsuna to join his boxing club at a volume that was totally unacceptable for indoors, let alone a library. After Ryohei was unceremoniously kicked out, Kyoko had laughed at Tsuna while he banged his head against the table.

"You can turn him down, you know. He'll be disappointed, but not for very long." Kyoko had promised him, after watching Tsuna stumble through excuses. Tsuna groaned in response.

"He's just so nice. I don't want to say no. But God, I _really_ don't want to join his boxing club." Hana snickered.

"He's like a goldfish; he'll forget about it in a few minutes."

"Besides, he likes you, Tsu-kun!" Kyoko insisted.

"That's why I feel bad disappointing him!"

But Tsuna knew he should talk to Ryohei anyways.

He had entered the gym quietly, but that was no use.

"SAWADA!" Came the shout from across the room. Tsuna sweatdropped.

The boxer was waving at him enthusiastically. His hands were wrapped, like always, as well as having a bandage across his nose. He was practically jumping up and down. Tsuna waved back and started to walk over, but the boxer made a beeline for him, sprinting over.

He grabbed Tsuna by the shoulders, practically shaking him.

"Are you here to join my boxing club?!" He demanded to know. Tsuna was a little dizzy from being swung.

"Uh, no, Sasagawa-kun." Ryohei looked immediately disappointed, like a kicked puppy. "Um, I actually have something I was hoping you could help me with." Tsuna rubbed his head sheepishly. Ryohei immediately lit up, throwing his hands into the air.

"Whatever I can do, Sawada! I think that would be _extremely cool!_" He planted his hands on his hips, smiling cheerily. Tsuna smiled back.

"Sasagawa-kun, you're very driven. I have a goal I'm trying to achieve and I don't think I have the...resolve necessary to achieve it. I wanted to come talk to you about that and see if you could help me." Ryohei stared at him for a moment, mouth open.

Before bursting into noisy tears.

He grabbed Tsuna and lifted him off the ground.

"LITTLE BROTHER!" Tsuna couldn't breathe. "I'm extremely touched you would come to me about this!" He shook Tsuna, which was becoming a common theme. "Let's work through this in the ring!" Tsuna cringed.

_I was afraid he would say something like that_.

Next thing he knew, he was being dragged into the boxing ring and Ryohei was instructing him on how to box. He had shoved gloves roughly onto Tsuna's hands and was demonstrating punches and moves for him.

"Wait, but what does this have to do with resolve?" Ryohei smiled so hard his eyes were almost shut.

"Just wait! It will become extremely clear!" He insisted. Tsuna doubted that. After Ryohei showed him a few moves, they started boxing.

Ryohei took a swing at his head, which Tsuna ducked.

"You just have to take in the moment!" Ryohei exclaimed, throwing another punch. Tsuna dodged it again. "And pick a goal." He sprang forward, throwing a flurry of punches, forcing Tsuna to deflect some of them as he dodged continuously. This was a great lesson in footwork, he realized. "You work with Hibari, right?"

"Yeah, I'm on the-," Tsuna ducked again. "-, DC."

"No, I mean you train with him!"

"Um, yeah." Another punch, this one catching Tsuna in the shoulder. He twisted so it became more of a glancing blow, not experiencing the full impact.

"Well, Sawada, you have yet to throw a punch. And I'd bet the majority of your fights with Hibari are defense, not offense." Three punches thrown in quick succession. It was a speed Tsuna wasn't expecting, and he got knocked on his ass, but quickly sprang up. He was immediately forced to bob to the side to avoid a punch to the jaw. "You don't have a goal, except to survive!"

"I mean, Hibari's pretty...extreme." Tsuna admitted, a little breathless. He knew Ryohei was talented, but he wasn't expecting to be _this_ outmatched after training with Hibari for months. "It's hard to get an opening."

"But you haven't even tried to throw a punch!" Ryohei insisted. "You are only working on your defense! Which, of course, is extremely cool. But that means you don't have a distinct goal." He wasn't even _sweating_. "Come on! Hit me!"

Tsuna threw a punch towards Ryohei's jaw, but he hesitated. It was slow, and Ryohei easily dodged it, quickly catching Tsuna in the side with his counterattack.

_Oof._

"Don't worry, little brother! You won't hurt me!" Ryohei exclaimed. Even though they were fighting, Ryohei was as enthused as ever. Tsuna struck again, twice, in quick succession. Ryohei blocked the first one, but the second hit him in the ribs. Ryohei let out a sudden breath of air, taking a step back. Tsuna froze.

"Sasagawa-kun, are you-," Ryohei punched him in the jaw, sending him flying back a few feet, flat on his back again.

Tsuna groaned.

He glanced up to see Ryohei throwing his arms in the air, thrilled.

"SAWADA!" He yelled. His voice could peel paint off walls. Tsuna winced. "That was an _extremely_ good punch!" He looked to be in perfect condition. In fact, he was almost glowing.

_Wait._

No, he was _actually_ glowing. Tsuna sat up, squinting at Ryohei as he let out a war cry. It was faint, but almost yellowish? It was like a sparkling light emitting off of him, the edges of it moving ever so slightly.

Almost like...flames.

Tsuna glanced around to see if anyone else was seeing what he did. If they did, they didn't seem to care.

"SAWADA!" The shout brought him back to reality. "You should join my boxing club!" Tsuna groaned again. The boxer stuck out a hand to the smaller boy. "Let's keep going!"

Ryohei made him go around and around, probably for the next hour. They took a few short breaks, but Tsuna was still _exhausted _by the end of it.

Though, in between the punches Ryohei was throwing, he felt like he _had_ gotten some good advice.

"You're unwilling to go on the offensive. When you fight, you're just trying not to get hurt. But you have to decide what you want in a fight. Whether you want to _win_." Ryohei had explained. "You're good at this, Sawada! You can't be afraid to hit me, because I'm not afraid to hit you!" Tsuna learned that lesson _quickly._

Afterwards, when Tsuna was panting on the floor of the ring, Ryohei had sat down next to him.

"When I have a match, I always think to myself, "I'm going to defeat my opponent." When I'm dodging, I think "I won't let you hit me!" When I attack, I think "I will hit you!" And if someone ever hurts my friends, like you, Sawada-," Ryohei reached out, ruffling Tsuna's hair. He smiled at him, but it wasn't his normal extreme disposition. It was sweet, but protective. "-, I think, "I won't let you get hurt!" I can't be afraid to do what needs to be done."

"But what if it's not just about winning?" Tsuna asked. Ryohei grinned.

"It's always about winning!"

"Even outside of the ring?" Ryohei leaned in, voice dropping for a moment uncharacteristically.

"I'll let you in on a secret, Sawada. Everything is about winning. You either win, or you lose. You don't _have _to hurt someone to win. Sometimes you might. But you have to _win_." It was the most serious Tsuna had ever seen Ryohei, even though the older boy was still cheerful. "It's _extremely_ important!" His voice sharply raised in volume, and he happened to be very close to Tsuna. Tsuna winced.

Suddenly, the white-haired boy sprang to his feet.

"Now!" He announced. "We get ice!"

Tsuna decided he didn't mind boxing with Ryohei. Ice was more than he got with Hibari.

As they were sitting on the bleachers, Tsuna icing his jaw, Ryohei clasped Tsuna's shoulder with a huge hand.

"Sawada." He said seriously. "Are you going to join my boxing club?!"

XXXX

The next few times Tsuna sparred with Hibari, it was during lunch. Yamamoto was watching them, amused. He was loudly eating his sandwich, with irritated Hibari to no end. Tsuna had requested to spar in the gym, which is why they were working during lunch. The gym was supposed to be empty, and if there were any "crowding herbivore stragglers" (which seemed like an oxymoron to Tsuna), Hibari had beaten them away. Even though it was less convenient to work in the gym, Tsuna didn't want to accidentally activate his flame and launch Hibari off the roof.

Even though Tsuna was unsuccessful in replicating the flame, he had stepped up his offense, attacking more. He had gotten more bruised than usual, but he couldn't help but notice he had started to land _real_ hits on Hibari. On one occasion, Tsuna even split Hibari's lip. Hibari didn't say anything, but had given Tsuna curious looks.

On one particular day, Tsuna had tried to recall the feeling he had when he attacked Hibari. Specifically, the moment were Hibari had him trapped against his chest, preventing Tsuna from throwing any more punches. He had felt angry, of course. Furious at Hibari, furious at being unable to punch anymore. He had been figuratively backed up against the wall, with no out unless Hibari had let him go.

He had _made_ Hibari let him go. He hadn't really remembered any distinctive thought in his mind, but he could recall the feeling at that exact moment. The surge of power.

They had been going at it for twenty minutes, and Tsuna was already tired. They had been working hard in the past few days. Tsuna could tell that while Hibari was pleased with his offensive stint, he was frustrated that the flame hadn't shown itself again. It had been weeks since the first incident had happened.

They were fighting near one end of the gym, so that Hibari's back was to the matted walls.

"Tsunayoshi." Hibari said, shifting his stance. It was still ready to block any blows, but less offensive than Tsuna was used to. "This isn't working." He pointed out. "And you are _panting._" He looked a little disgusted at that.

"Just a little longer." Tsuna insisted. "I'm working on something." Hibari rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you should take a break?" Yamamoto called from the bleachers. "You guys have been really going in on each other lately." His arm was mostly healed now, but he was still taking it easy. Unfortunately, his arm being mostly healed meant that Hibari felt he had a free license to beat Yamamoto when he irritated him. Which was fairly often.

"Just a little longer." Tsuna insisted. He turned to Hibari, who had raised an eyebrow at him. Tsuna steeled himself.

_I'm going to knock him backwards. I'm going to knock him backwards. I'm going to knock him _backwards.

He told himself that over, and over again. He was exhausted, and frankly, not strong enough to send the larger boy flying like he had without the use of something like that flame. If he was going to knock Hibari backwards in his state, there was only one way he was going to do it.

He took a deep breath, and they let out a cry, rushing forward. Hibari sprang into action, meeting him in the middle.

_I'm going to knock him backwards, I'm going to knock him backwards_, he assured himself.

And when they clashed, there was a brilliant flash of light, and a noise like a _bomb_ going off. Tsuna was knocked flat on his ass, but he wasn't so out of it like he was last time. He was able to see through the bright light.

Hibari went _screeching_ across the floor, a surprised look on his face that made Tsuna want to laugh. His back hit the mats on the wall with such force Tsuna could swear he heard an _oof_.

Hibari slumped against the wall. Tsuna sprang to his feet, panicked.

"_Kyoya_-," He started to run over, almost tripping. But Hibari held out a hand, straightening up. He had a slightly pained look on his face, but other than that, was okay.

Except for his slightly singed uniform.

_And_ the edge of his tonfas were smoking.

Tsuna watched Hibari hover a hand over his tonfa.

"They're hot." He informed Tsuna.

"Are you okay?" Tsuna demanded. "I didn't really hurt you, did I?" Hibari pulled himself off the wall, frowning curiously at his tonfas.

"No."

"Tsuna." He heard Yamamoto's voice and his head whipped around to see Yamamoto standing up. His mouth was wide open, eyes the size of dinner plates, and his hand was empty. He'd dropped his sandwich. "That..." Yamamoto suddenly punched the air. "WAS SO COOL!" He hopped down from the bleachers and ran over, grabbing Tsuna by the shoulders. "Tsuna! You shot _flames_ from your hands!"

"Um, yeah." Tsuna said. He wasn't sure what this meant for him.

"Teach me!" Yamamoto begged.

"Hn." Hibari interrupted, stalking forward.

"It seems like talking with Ryohei really helped you!" Yamamoto commented. _That_ irritated Hibari even more. Tsuna knew that Hibari hated the idea of someone else teaching Tsuna something besides him. He was possessive like that.

"The boxer herbivore...is of a passing skill level." The chairman admitted, eyes narrowed. "He has tolerable combat abilities."

"He told me something about...winning. That everything is about winning, and I have to decide when I fight that I'm going to win." Tsuna muttered. Yamamoto slung his arm around Tsuna's shoulder. Hibari considered Tsuna's words.

"He is correct, surprisingly." He put away his tonfas, as they had cooled off. "You have been more forward in attacking, recently." Tsuna rubbed his neck.

"I mean, yeah. I guess I have been." Hibari nodded.

"Good. I expect you to keep that up." Internally, Tsuna groaned. He must have made a face, because Hibari glared at him. "When I fight with you, I do not beat you to the point of extreme injury or death. That is an exception, in this world. Not the rule. Your opponents will not be as kind as I am. If you have _decided to win_-," He was not happy about using Ryohei's words. "Then you must be not _just_ as vicious as your opponent, but more so."

"I don't like hurting people, Kyoya." Tsuna's voice sounded small. Hibari scoffed.

"You seem to have a tool at your disposal these weak herbivores would kill for. Use it, or be killed." Yamamoto suddenly squeezed Tsuna's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Tsuna." He said. "I'm gonna get strong so you won't have to hurt people unless you have to." Tsuna turned his head to peer up at Yamamoto, eyes shining.

"Takeshi..." Yamamoto bumped his head against Tsuna's.

"Y'know, my dad is actually a swordsman. He offered to teach me when I was younger, but I was only interested in baseball." He confessed. "I asked him a few weeks ago to teach me when I got better. I'll be starting next week." Tsuna's eyes widened. He wanted to say no, that Yamamoto didn't have to do this for him. But they'd already had this conversation many times before, about Yamamoto wanting to get strong, to fight. Whenever it came up, Yamamoto got an uncharacteristic hardness in his eyes. He would say, "My choice is made." And that would be the end of the conversation.

Yamamoto turned to grin at Hibari.

"Aren't you proud of me, Hibari?" He teased him. "I'm learning to fight!"

"The sword is an herbivore's weapon."

"Aw, you say the sweetest things to me." Yamamoto grabbed onto Tsuna and pretended to swoon.

"Get. Out. Before I bite you to death." Hibari threatened. "Tsunayoshi, we will talk about this later."

XXXX

Get ready for some _shenanigans_ next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Honestly? Time for shenanigans.

XXXX

"Ow!" Tsuna snapped, a piece of chalk hitting him in the head. A snide face peered back at him. Nezu, as courteous as always.

"Pay attention, Dame-Tsuna." While irritating, it didn't have the same impact as before. Practically no one called him that anymore, and even those who did, knew it not to be true. Sure, his grades still weren't _great_, but useless was a little bit of an extreme term.

"I am!" Tsuna protested. Another piece of chalk his his forehead. It kind of hurt.

"Then why are your test grades so low?" Nezu taunted him. Tsuna was getting irritated.

"They're not anymore!" He knew that his grades weren't perfect, but he had worked hard to raise them.

"Oh, really?" Nezu said. "Let's take a look at your test." He pulled Tsuna's test out of a stack of papers. Tsuna had studied hard for this test, and _knew_ he had at least passed. He'd studied with Yamamoto, with Kyoko, with Hana. He had been flying through the practice problems. There was no _way_ he failed.

Tsuna felt Yamamoto's hand on his shoulder. He twisted to see the baseball player smiling at him. He touched Yamamoto's hand and smiled back.

"An 11!" Nezu gloated. Tsuna whipped around so fast it actually hurt his neck a little.

"_What?_" Tsuna was shocked. He felt like he'd been slapped. He glanced to the sides to see similar expressions on the faces of his friends. They knew how hard he had studied. Kyoko's lip started trembling.

"Guess you're still Dame-Tsuna." Nezu snapped. "Don't get cocky. If you had put more effort in, maybe you would have done better." Tsuna felt crushed. What more could he have done? He was getting A's on the practice tests. He had even asked Kusakabe for his former study materials. He had been steadily increasing his scores from D's to C's and even some B's. He felt like he was understanding the material and that this was the first of what he hoped would be some A's. If he could even get one or two A's a semester and mostly B's, it would improve his scores immensely.

"I d-did." Tsuna stammered.

"Nezu-san, what did Hana-chan and I get?" Kyoko asked. Tsuna was beginning to realize that her trembling lip was not Kyoko on the verge of tears; it was barely contained rage.

"Doesn't matter." Nezu snapped. "You'll find out after class."

"Then why did you pull out Tsuna's test?" Yamamoto replied. His voice was calm, but serious.

"To _show_ the class what happens when you don't put the effort in." Nezu claimed. "When I was your age, I was acing these kinds of tests. Because I knew what it was to work _hard_." He jabbed a finger in the air towards Tsuna. "Something Dame-Tsuna knows nothing of."

Tsuna was angry, sure. In a general sense. But at this moment, he felt more depressed. It was humiliating, to have a _teacher_ espouse his failure in front of the entire class. And it hurt every time he got a bad grade on a test, but this one especially. He had worked _so hard_. Even if Tsuna hadn't done as well as he thought he would, he would have been a little disappointed. But this cut _deep_. To have _failed_.

Kyoko grabbed his arm. Tsuna's head was bowed, but he turned his head slightly to see Kyoko. Her face was filled with concern. She looked like she wanted to stand up and start yelling. Tsuna shook his head. There was no point in her getting in trouble for his grades.

"Now, if you all continue to speak without raising your hands, I will be giving out detentions." Nezu said sternly. He chucked another piece of chalk at Tsuna. Kyoko looked like she was about to flip a desk. "Pay attention, Dame-Tsuna. You need this."

When they left the classroom, Yamamoto was the first to grab Tsuna by the shoulders. He bent down, and forced Tsuna to face him. Tsuna had kept his eyes downcast the entire lesson.

"Tsuna, none of what he said was true." Yamamoto had a tight grip on him. "You know that, right?" Tsuna didn't meet his eyes.

"It's okay, Takeshi. I'm not that good of a student, y'know." Tsuna muttered. "I failed a test. It's okay." He suddenly felt a hand on his cheek. He looked up to see Kyoko.

"No, it's not, Tsu-kun. You worked hard. You didn't deserve to fail. And Nezu-san was being cruel to you. He shouldn't tear you down." Kyoko shook her head, tears shining on her eyes. "I'm so angry I want to _cry_."

"And Kyoko and I got A's on the test. This baseball monkey here even got a low B." Hana yanked a thumb in the direction of Yamamoto, who was still grasping Tsuna by the shoulders. "You were the one explaining this material to _us_. It makes literally no sense for you to have done so badly." Tsuna pulled himself out of Yamamoto's grip, shaking his head.

"I'll just have to work harder." He said quietly. "Besides, Hibari will have my head if I don't get my grades up." He shook his head again. "I'm gonna go to the library for a little bit and study. I'll see you guys later." He walked down the hallway. He just felt like he needed to be alone for a little while.

Behind him, Yamamoto put his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes.

"Something doesn't feel right." He said.

"You're telling me." Hana commented. "An 11? What the hell?" She shook her head. "He was flying through those practice tests. I don't believe it. That old bastard did something."

"I think...I might talk to Ryohei-nii." Kyoko said slowly. "I think he can cheer Tsuna up." Yamamoto nodded.

"That's a good plan, Sasagawa-chan." She nodded back at them, stopping to tell Hana where she could meet her later, before taking off to find her brother. Once she was gone, Yamamoto turned to Hana.

"Don't tell Tsuna." He began. She glared at him.

"I don't like the way this is starting." He shrugged.

"I'm gonna go talk to Hibari. Something is up, and if there's a teacher at this school sabotaging his student, he'll lose his shit." Yamamoto smiled. "Should be interesting!"

And so he did.

XXXX

Two days later, Tsuna still wasn't feeling well. Ryohei had practically accosted him in the hallway, dragging him away to box in the middle of the day. He insisted Tsuna would be "excused from class" for "official club activities". Tsuna wasn't so sure about that. Nevertheless, he would admit it lifted his spirits.

Ryohei didn't seem to know exactly what had happened to upset Tsuna, but he kept pestering him about it, saying it was "extremely not cool for anyone to make my little brother feel like that!"

Regardless, it made Tsuna smile.

He wasn't going to tell Ryohei about Nezu, but Ryohei was so _relentless_. He gave in by the second day, explaining what had happened in class. How blindsided he had been by his failure to do well. And more importantly, the way Nezu had insisted on humiliating him in class.

Ryohei had been _furious_.

As things were, he was accompanying Tsuna to his class, insisting he would give Nezu "a piece of my mind!"

Tsuna was sure he was about to hear some "extreme" yelling. Really, no one had a set of pipes on them like Sasagawa Ryohei.

But when Tsuna and Ryohei got to his class, things were not proceeding as usual. Ryohei scratched his head.

"Sawada, is this normal?"

"Um, no."

All the students were stuck outside the classroom, whispering amongst themselves. Class hadn't started yet, but it was definitely past the appropriate time for students to be _filling_ the hallway. From the looks of it, not a single student was in the classroom.

And then there was Hibari.

He was banging on the door, which appeared to be locked. From inside, came a shrill voice, shrieking,

"Leave me alone! I won't open this door!" It was distinctly Nezu. Hibari banged on the door harder.

"Open this door _at once_." He ordered. "Or it will be broken down, and you will be punished for the damage of Namimori Middle property." The whispers increased in volume, and Tsuna watched as Hibari whipped around. "Stop crowding, herbivores." He hissed. "Or you will be bitten to death." The crowd of people backed up, frightened of the chairman. Tsuna was dumbstruck.

"Oi, Tsuna!" Yamamoto's waving arm caught Tsuna's attention.

"It's Yamamoto!" Ryohei exclaimed, grabbing Tsuna's arm and dragging him over. To the small group that was Yamamoto, Hana, and Kyoko. The moment they got close, Tsuna noticed how sheepish Yamamoto looked.

"Takeshi." He said calmly. "What did you _do_?" Yamamoto laughed.

"Is it that obvious?" He asked. Tsuna grabbed his hair, yanking on it.

"What's going on?" The baseball player slung an arm around Tsuna's shoulders, pulling him close.

"So, you know how Hibari is like, off his rocker?" He asked. This statement was punctuated by the sound of Hibari banging on the door as Nezu begged for his life inside the classroom. Hana snorted.

"Yes." Tsuna gave Yamamoto an admonishing look.

"Takeshi, what did you do?" The shorter boy asked again. Takeshi rubbed his neck.

"Well, I thought something suspicious was going on, so I decided to go talk to Hibari. If Nezu was messing with your test scores, that's pretty bad, right?" Yamamoto offered. "So I talked to him, he hit me in the head, like he does. But then he said he'd look into it. Oh, and that I should get out of his office." Yamamoto swung his arm out towards the scene in front of them. "And now we're here!" He grinned. "So Nezu must have done _something_. Or else Hibari wouldn't be here."

Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose. He shrugged Yamamoto's arm off him, approaching Hibari. The students had huddled back in a semi-circle, giving Hibari a wide berth.

"Um, Hibari-san?" Even though Tsuna knew he had permission to use Hibari's first name, Tsuna was still technically on the DC. Even if he didn't do much besides get the shit beaten out of him by Hibari and occasionally deal with troublemakers at the school. It was a public show of respect.

Hibari turned, jacket fluttering dramatically.

"Tsunayoshi." He responded flatly.

"Um, what's going on?"

"Nezu Dohachiro has been discovered to be falsifying test results. Not only on your own test, but for multiple other students, as well as more instances in the past." He narrowed his eyes. "This is a stain on Namimori. Sabotaging the students of Namimori Middle is an attack on Namimori itself and an insult to the institution. He must be punished accordingly. So I will bite him to death."

"SAWADA!" Ryohei was fired up. He sprang forward, punching both arms up into the air. "That's extremely uncool!" He pointed a finger at Tsuna. "I won't allow that to continue. I'll get this door open for you, Hibari!"

"Um, Nii-san-,"

_BANG!_

The door went flying off the hinges, causing a terrible screeching noise as it collided with the desks inside of the classroom.

Tsuna wanted to bang his head against the wall.

Hibari took off inside the room and Tsuna was about to follow when a hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. Tsuna looked up to see Yamamoto, who shook his head.

"Hibari's got this, Tsuna. Let's just let him do his job." Suddenly, his face lit up and he wrapped his arms around Tsuna from behind, grabbing Tsuna's cheek. He pinched it.

"Ow! Takeshi!"

"Aren't you happy?!" Yamamoto exclaimed. "This means you didn't fail the test! Nezu is just a jerk!"

A horrible scream came from inside the classroom, followed by some thuds and a _thwack_. Tsuna winced. Yamamoto set his chin on Tsuna's head, in his fluffy hair.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Tsuna." He said. "Nothing we can do to stop Hibari."

After a few minutes, Hibari exited the classroom. He hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Nezu-san will not be hosting class today, or ever again. Do not enter this classroom; the DC will take it from here." His eyes briefly slid over Yamamoto and Tsuna. "No public displays of affection." He snapped, before storming off.

A few burly DC members came in shortly after, preventing anyone from looking inside. However, since Yamamoto was tall enough, he took a quick peek in before being shooed away. His expression didn't change, but when Tsuna asked him about it, he just ruffled Tsuna's hair and told him not to worry.

Apparently, Hibari had cracked Nezu's skull and put him in the hospital.

And while this incident was being reviewed by the local authorities, who certainly would not do anything out of fear of Hibari Kyoya, some discoveries about Nezu were made.

Namely, that he had falsified his academic transcripts and defrauded the school.

So.

That was the end of that.

XXXX

"You seem angry." Tsuna asked Hibari one day, post training session.

"You have yet to progress with your flames." Hibari remarked. He plopped down on the ground, already stretching his arms out behind his head.

Tsuna had the feeling that the older boy was avoiding something. He took a seat next to him. Hibari eyed him uncomfortably.

"You are sweaty. And panting." He remarked flatly. Tsuna poked him in the shoulder. Hibari stared back, eyes unreadable.

"No, you're mad, Kyoya."

"Hn." Hibari looked back up at the sky.

"What are you so angry about?" No answer. So Tsuna was going to have to guess.

"Is it my friends?" Tsuna asked. Hibari's eyes flicked over to him. "Is it Takeshi?"

"Hn." That was the closest thing to a yes he was going to get.

"I know you don't like him, but he's...my best friend I think." Tsuna confessed. "He's taking up the sword for me. I think he'd...lay down his _life_ for me. I haven't been fortunate enough to know a lot of people like that in my life, Kyoya. He's important to me." Hibari rolled his eyes.

"Your friends are weak, crowding herbivores. They attach themselves to you, and you allow them to. You take time away from training for _what_? Weaklings who will never know true power?" Hibari said.

"Kyoya, you saw something in me. And I'm grateful for it. You've done a lot for me. I'd be dead several times over without you. But I see something in them you don't." Hibari let out a huff. Tsuna poked his shoulder again. "You're my friend too, Hibari." Hibari narrowed his eyes.

"You and that baseball herbivore...are joined at the hip." Hibari sat up. "Not just joined at the hip. He _fawns_ over you. And you seem to _enjoy _it. It's disgusting. We are _not_ friends." He asserted. "I am your teacher and you are my student."

The thought struck Tsuna suddenly.

Hibari was _jealous_ of Yamamoto. Maybe not of their relationship specifically. But Tsuna had been Hibari's for the past year or so. He didn't really have any friends before Yamamoto, Kyoko, and Hana. Just Hibari. And now Tsuna was splitting his time in between them and Hibari was getting _possessive_. It was in his nature, Tsuna had realized long ago. His neurotic behavior about Namimori, the DC. When he decided something was under his ownership, he would attack at the implication that it wasn't.

"Takeshi and I have a different kind of relationship than I have with you." Tsuna maintained. Hibari actually snorted. "And since it seems to bother you so much, _no_, there's nothing going on between us like that. He just knows I like hugs."

"I do not care about what kind of relationship you have with the baseball herbivore." Hibari informed him. That _so_ wasn't true.

"And no matter what you think, you're my friend."

"I am not your friend." Hibari responded tonelessly. Tsuna shrugged.

"Maybe I'm not your friend, but you're my friend. And you _like_ me." Tsuna insisted. "If you didn't, you would have kicked me out a long time ago."

"You are asking me if I prefer to speak with a person or an animal. The answer is simple." Tsuna pushed some hair out of his face and levelled his eyes at Hibari seriously.

"I think you're lonely, Kyoya. I really do. You aren't like other people and you never have been. And that's isolating. I think you know we're friends, but you think accepting that is weakness. It's not, Kyoya. Being friends means you _can_ rely on me. Not that you have to. I don't know if you ever will, to be honest." Tsuna sighed. "But that if one day, you were hurt. Or you were in trouble. That I would do what was in my power to protect you. I won't impede you. I won't stop you from being who you are. That's not what a friendship is." Hibari stared back. Things were silent for a moment, before the skylark finally spoke.

"Why...do you _insist_ on talking about _everything_?"

"Because you're jealous and upset." Tsuna fired back. "And I care about you and I don't want you to be jealous and upset. I could put this whole 'friends' idea into a nature metaphor, but I don't think I need to. You're not stupid. Just neurotic." A beat; then-,

"I am _not_ jealous." Hibari seethed back. Tsuna got up onto his knees and scooted closer towards Hibari. "Stop that." Tsuna scooted closer, before reaching out, and throwing his arms around Hibari's neck. He pulled him into a hug.

The skylark was almost humorously tense underneath him, like a cat with its hackles raised. Tsuna pressed his face against Hibari's shoulder.

"Everyone needs a hug, Kyoya." He said.

"I do _not_."

"_Everyone_." Tsuna insisted. "You don't hate this."

Hibari didn't respond, which in itself, was an admittance.

They stayed like that for a moment, before Tsuna finally pulled back, smiling. He was about to say something, when he suddenly heard a familiar song.

"Is that the school anthem?" Tsuna asked. A look passed over Hibari's face that Tsuna could only describe as...guilt? It was hard to tell. The singing was...of a bird. And it was getting closer. Tsuna looked around, but couldn't find the source.

Until a tiny yellow bird landed on Hibari's head, singing the school anthem. It nestled in his hair, before settling down.

It was so..._cute_.

"Is that a bird?" Tsuna asked, blinking.

"Obviously." Tsuna surveyed the little bird who seemed to be attached to Hibari. The only person he knew with enough school pride to teach a little yellow bird the school anthem was sitting right in front of him.

Therefore the simplest solution...

"You taught him the school anthem." Tsuna accused Hibari. The skylark didn't deny it. The image of Hibari on this rooftop, singing verses of the school anthem to this little yellow bird was enough to make Tsuna blush. He thought back to the little bird on Hibari's desk. And the time a rabbit had made a nest in the courtyard of Nami Middle, all the baby bunnies in a tiny burrow. Hibari had hovered around the area for a while, insisting that the wildlife was not to be messed with and brutally punishing any idiot who tried to. "You like cute little animals." Tsuna said, pointing a finger at Hibari.

"Hn."  
"It's true!" Tsuna exclaimed. "I knew it!" Hibari crossed his arms. "You _hate_ herbivores, but you like cute little animals?"

"Herbivores are stupid, mindless creatures. This bird is nothing like that." Hibari countered. "Besides, you're _lucky_ you're one of those little animals, or I would have beaten you into submission long ago." Tsuna's mouth dropped open.

He had been thinking about how Hibari called him _little animal_ but didn't think the skylark would admit it outright.

"What makes me a little animal?" Tsuna demanded.

"Have you looked in a mirror?" Hibari asked with an eyebrow raised. Tsuna made a noise.

"I can't _help _it that my hair is so fluffy! I know my eyes are really big!" Yamamoto had once said that Tsuna must have excellent night vision.

Tsuna hated that he was right.

"This is not a commentary on whether or not you _prefer_ to have large, vulnerable eyes." Hibari responded. He reached out to poke Tsuna's hair, before sighing. "There are few people I choose to spend time around. You are one of them. I do not wish to discuss it further." If Tsuna didn't know Hibari better, he would have missed the tiniest sprinkling of pink on Hibari's nose, right by the faint freckles. Tsuna doubted anyone else had seen them; no one else had gotten physically close enough to Hibari without getting their skull cracked open.

"Let's do something that's not fighting for once." Tsuna declared. "Let's get ice cream." Hibari made a face.

"Why must we do anything besides fight?"

"Because I'm too sore to keep fighting, you're done, and I think it would be nice. You don't have to if you really don't want to. But I'll buy." Tsuna climbed to his feet, dusting off his pants. He held out a hand to Hibari, an offer to help him up. Hibari didn't take it, but he got to his feet nonetheless.

The two of them walked to an ice cream shop close to the school and got some there. They ended up sitting outside the shop, on the curb. Tsuna had his legs crossed and Hibari's were propped up in front of them. Tsuna had watched, curious, as Hibari selected green tea flavored ice cream.

"Y'know, I almost expected you to want to sit somewhere hidden." Tsuna said, in between eating his ice cream.

"I am not ashamed to be seen with you." Hibari commented dryly.

"I know. I realized I was wrong before I said anything." Tsuna scooted closer to Hibari, who shot him a look. But Tsuna ignored it. "So. Green tea ice cream and cute little animals." Tsuna said. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I would prefer if you didn't."

"Hey, Kyoya." Tsuna said. He let his head touch Hibari's shoulder.

"I am not that baseball herbivore, for you to touch whenever you feel like it." Hibari immediately snapped. Tsuna ignored him. Hibari was sensitive about the most trivial things.

"I have something to show you." He held out his palm, the one not holding the ice cream. A faint, orange flame flickered to life. Hibari stared at it.

"You hid this from me." Hibari accused him. Tsuna moved it closer to Hibari.

"I just was able to figure it out yesterday. It makes me very tired, though." Tsuna admitted. "I needed to sit and eat. You can touch it. It's not hot." Hibari looked apprehensive.

"I remember it being hot." Tsuna shrugged.

"It's not hot if I don't want it to be. Look." He held it up to his ice cream, so that it was engulfed in the small, flickering flame. "Nothing." He moved his hand back, palm open. Hibari immediately stuck his hand into the flame.

"It's warm." He said. "But not hot." Tsuna took a shaky breath, removing his hand and closing it. The flame extinguished itself. He was almost sweating.

"I can't do it for very long." Tsuna admitted. "I need to work on it."

"What was the point of waiting until now to tell me?" The skylark asked. "Why not earlier?" Tsuna let his head rest on Hibari's shoulder.

"Thought it would be a nice surprise. Besides, I didn't think you'd want me passing out on the roof again." Hibari considered his words.

"You were correct." He paused. "Have you shown anyone else?"

"Just you." Tsuna licked his ice cream. "See, Kyoya. I told you. You're my friend. And I know it kind of freaks you out when I make new friends, but you know that there's a special place for you, right?"

"I do not care." Hibari remarked.

"Do you want me to invite you to things?" Tsuna asked.

"Absolutely not."

"I'm going to invite you to things." Tsuna decided. "You don't have to come. But everyone likes knowing they're wanted."

"I don't care." Hibari said again. "I cannot emphasize that enough."

"Besides, Takeshi and Ryohei-nii like you!" Tsuna insisted. "No matter how many times you beat them upside the head." Yamamoto thought Hibari was hilarious, but Tsuna wasn't about to tell Hibari that.

"Those insufferable herbivores irritate me to no end." Tsuna playfully punched Hibari's arm.

"You'd be bored without them." Tsuna insisted.

XXXX

They were quickly approaching terminal stupidity, Tsuna had realized.

By now, Tsuna, Yamamoto, Ryohei, Hana, and Kyoko were almost their own little group, with Hibari participating on and off, almost never by his own preference. And there was something about being together that just turned their brains off. Even Hana, who was normally so shrewd, either lost her common sense, or enjoyed the chaos too much to intervene.

This week had been the fourth time a catastrophic chain of miscommunication led to violence. First, some kid had harassed Tsuna outside of class. It had been annoying, but Tsuna handled it. But then, Kyoko innocently mentioned it to Ryohei, who was, of course, incapable of reacting reasonably. Ryohei confronted the kid, made him feel threatened, and then that boy had gathered a group of his friends to take retribution. They had gone to find Yamamoto, who was practicing on the baseball field, and found Tsuna sitting on the bleachers. Tsuna had been in the midst of talking them down, when Yamamoto accidentally hit one in the back with a baseball, knocking them down. That set the group off and then Yamamoto got involved. Ryohei had been coming to inform Tsuna about what happened, albeit way too late, and was subsequently also involved.

The next thing Tsuna knew, was the massive destruction of Namimori property and the involvement of Hibari, who was furious for a multitude of reasons. One idiot tried to pull a knife, Tsuna jumped on his back, and in the chaos, Ryohei tried to punch one of the attackers and hit Hibari on accident. The explosive result meant that the boxer then decided to pursue Hibari for his boxing club, convinced that Hibari was "extremely talented!", something that would no doubt cause a multitude of troubles down the line.

But it didn't end there.

Kyoko, feeling bad about the way things had gone, enlisted Tsuna's help in making peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies to apologize for how things had gone. They distributed them to the pack of teenagers in question, a peace offering.

As it turned out, two of the boys had severe nut allergies and it was the fifth time that month an incident at Namimori Middle necessitated a call to emergency services. As a result, Nami Middle became a nut-free campus, something which was long overdue. Tsuna wondered why it hadn't been before, until he caught Hibari eating pistachios in secret in his office and realized he had found the culprit. He didn't even have the decency to look _guilty_ when Tsuna found him.

The problem with the whole affair was that it was becoming common. Normally, when a group of people put their heads together, they got collectively smarter, not dumber. If any single one of them had stopped to think for even a moment, this wouldn't have happened.

"Takeshi," Tsuna said at lunch. They were laying across the bleachers in the gym. Tsuna was supposed to go work with Hibari for the second half of lunch, on his flame. But he needed to eat first, or else he would pass out. Yamamoto's long legs were strewn across a few rows of bleachers, as he laid backwards, munching on a sandwich. "I don't think Nami Middle can take any more chaos." The amount of property damage done in the past few months was deeply concerning.

Yamamoto just grinned back. He found all of it deeply amusing. He reached an arm up and pinched Tsuna's cheek.

"Oh, come on Tsuna. We aren't that bad." Tsuna rubbed his cheek.

"Still, I don't think this can escalate. Kyoya will have our heads if it does." Yamamoto shrugged.

"I think it's kinda fun for him!"

Hibari had often complained of being bored before; Tsuna hadn't heard him say anything of the like in over two months.

Yamamoto saw the concern on Tsuna's face and waved a hand.

"Don't worry about a thing, Tsuna!"

XXXX

Far away in Italy...

Gokudera didn't particularly like living with Shamal. But he was still somewhat grateful for the doctor taking him under his wing and giving him a roof over his head.

That didn't mean he would ever say anything of the like; Shamal was a smug pervert and he didn't need another boost to his dangerously large ego. Still, Gokudera was appreciative, even if he would never show it.

Gokudera was aware he had a problem; he was angry about everything. All the time. There was a lot so far in his short life to be angry about, but the rage was beginning to invade every part of his psyche and make him miserable to be around permanently. He knew it was wrong but he didn't care to stop it. No one had ever cared about him or tried to protect him. Why did he have to be a better person? For who?

He always wanted to fight. He wanted to challenge someone. He wanted to prove himself. It would show everyone who had treated him like shit.

So when the the Ninth Vongola boss had announced that the Tenth Vongola boss had been chosen, Gokudera got excited. When it was announced that the future Decimo was young, around Gokudera's age, and currently being molded into the perfect successor, Gokudera got even more excited.

And Gokudera had mafia contacts, for sure. He was well known in the mafia world, as Smokin' Bomb Hayato. An up-and-comer, who would one day be a fierce adversary for the whole mafia world to recognize. But not the kind of contacts who would tell him the top secret information known only to the inner circle of Vongola.

Shamal did though.

When Shamal had suddenly gotten a call from someone so important that he had stood up in the middle of their conversation and went into a private room, Gokudera had pressed his ear against the door and listened in.

"...Future Decimo?" Shamal muttered. Gokudera couldn't hear the whole conversation, but the snippets he caught provided him with what he needed. "..Japan? ...Sawada...-tsuna...okay.."

Now, Gokudera didn't have infinite resources at his disposal, but he could find someone online with a little more accuracy than your average mafioso. He didn't catch the whole name, but he searched for Sawadas in Japan with first names that had some kind of variant of Tsuna in them. There weren't too many. The combination of name wasn't that common. Adjust for age, a range of 13-18, and it became an even smaller number. Four people, to be exact. He did find a Japanese Sawada Ietsuna who was in the age range, but he didn't seem to have any records in Japan beyond childhood and Gokudera found records at various institutions in Europe for him. He took him off the list, as Shamal had said that Decimo was in Japan.

And when Gokudera was able to find school records for one Sawada Tsunayoshi, he knew this was the future Decimo. There was an ID photo attached and the Japanese boy shared an almost uncanny resemblance to the first Vongola boss. This was him.

Gokudera glanced at the name of the school.

Now where the fuck was Nami Middle?


	6. Chapter 6

Gokudera's arrived, folks. Also Tsuna's 14 by now.

XXXX

Tsuna _thought_ he had been getting better at using his flames.

He was sitting down, Yamamoto pressing water into his hands and begging him to keep his head between his knees.

"Really, Takeshi." Tsuna promised, his voice a little muffled. "I feel fine now. I promise. I only thought I was going to pass out for a moment." He raised his head.

Once Tsuna could maintain a flame for more than a minute or two without feeling faint, Hibari had realized that they strengthened Tsuna's blows significantly. He had been pushing Tsuna to maintain at least a weak version during spars. They had flickered in and out, difficult to maintain as he tried to focus on Hibari at the same time. Even though Tsuna's blows were strong enough to take out Hibari with likely one focused hit, it was so hard to maintain and fight at the same time that Hibari had been crushing him. He couldn't dodge and he certainly couldn't attack Hibari with enough speed to actually touch him. And the more Hibari hit him, the harder it was to maintain the flames until they fizzled out completely and Tsuna was exhausted.

Today, though, once Tsuna was seemingly out for the count, he had pushed himself. _Hard_. He was determined to improve, even just a little. They had flared up, dramatically more so than in the past.

And very suddenly, Tsuna's vision had gone a fuzzy orange. He knew his eyes were _open_, but the feeling was so odd that Tsuna immediately extinguished his flames and fell on his ass. His head felt funny after.

"Tsuna, I saw your eyes." Yamamoto said, sounding concerned. "I think you _did_ pass out. Your eyes were open, but it was like there wasn't any of you behind them. And then you collapsed."

"I agree with the baseball herbivore, Tsunayoshi." Hibari said. He was hovering close to Tsuna. "You are improving; that much is true. But I would prefer if you _didn't_ pass out."

"I don't think I actually passed out." Tsuna insisted. "I just thought I was going to. My head felt...weird."

"Bad?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna shook his head.

"No, just weird.

"Regardless, we will not be continuing today." Hibari said. "Go eat something and then go to class. You are still a student here." Yamamoto rubbed his jaw, blinking at Hibari.

"Hibari, do you actually go to class?" He asked. Come to think of it, it seemed like Hibari was _always_ roaming the halls to Tsuna, or was in his office. He couldn't even picture Hibari sitting in class like a normal student. The idea was unfathomable.

"Are you an idiot?" Hibari snapped. "Obviously I go to class." Tsuna...didn't believe that.

"Really?" Tsuna asked. "I can't picture it." Hibari huffed.

"Not you too."

"Name one thing you've learned in class in the past week." Yamamoto suggested.

"Get out." Hibari said, turning on his heel. Tsuna figured he was probably going to take a nap.

"See, Tsuna! He didn't answer. It's because he hasn't been to class." Hibari whirled around.

"For insulting my attendance, I will bite you to death." The tonfas came out, and Tsuna sprang to his feet, grabbing Yamamoto by the arm and dragging him away as Hibari chased them.

After the rest of lunch, Tsuna and Yamamoto returned to their classroom for their next class. They had all piled back into the room, Yamamoto, Tsuna, Kyoko, and Hana taking up one corner of the classroom. They were chatting idly, when the teacher entered with a student Tsuna didn't recognize at his side.

The student had longer, silver hair. He wore several rings on his hands and a chain around his neck. He was wearing the uniform, technically. But it was untucked, rumpled, and adjusted so that it certainly violated the dress code. He had a serious expression on his face, and when he saw Tsuna, it morphed into...rage? Tsuna couldn't tell. He had certainly never seen this student before, so he couldn't imagine anything he had done to elicit such a response.

"Hey, Tsuna." Yamamoto whispered. "Is it just me, or does that guy hate you already?"

"He definitely looks like he wants to kill you." Hana agreed.

_Great_. Because Tsuna didn't have enough people out for him already.

The teacher brought the class to attention.

"Alright everyone! This is our new transfer student, from Italy. Gokudera Hayato. Everyone, please be kind to him!" Their instructor pivoted towards the student in question. "Gokudera-kun, do you have anything you would like to say?"

"Tch." Gokudera made a noise before glowering at the class. "Don't talk to me." The instructor didn't seem to know how to react to that.

"Um, just take any open seat." The instructor said. There were some whispers among the girls in the class about how _cute he is!_ But the transfer student seemed unaffected. The silver-haired boy stalked down the aisle that Tsuna was in, almost like he was headed straight for Tsuna.

That was _insane_ though, right?

As he approached Tsuna, his hand shot out to push Tsuna's chair, but Yamamoto beat him to it. He grabbed Gokudera's wrist, faster than anyone, even Tsuna was expecting. He knew Yamamoto had been training, had seen Yamamoto in his dojo at home swinging a shinai for practice, but the baseball player's reflexes still amazed him.

The silver-haired boy looked shocked. Yamamoto released him, smiling cheerfully.

"Sorry, Gokudera-kun! Looked like you were about to fall. I would have hated to see Tsuna's chair get pushed over by accident, right?" The transfer student's eyes narrowed, barely contained fury seeping out of him.

"Who are you?" He snapped. Yamamoto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yamamoto Takeshi! It's nice to meet you, Gokudera-kun. I hope we can be friends!" Yamamoto really had an amazing talent for hiding his true feelings, Tsuna observed. The baseball player trusted Tsuna enough to tell him the truth about how he felt, but Tsuna wasn't so sure he would be able to decipher Yamamoto's flawless facade if he actually wanted to deceive Tsuna.

"Tch. Whatever." Gokudera muttered, taking a seat in the back. Even from several seats away, Tsuna could feel the transfer student's eyes boring a hole into the back of Tsuna's head.

Once class started, Yamamoto leaned forward to whisper in Tsuna's ear.

"I was pretty fast, huh Tsuna?"

"Takeshi, I could kiss you." Tsuna whispered back, tilting his head back to see the taller boy's expression. Yamamoto winked at him.

"Aw, I'm blushing, Tuna Fish." He ruffled Tsuna's hair. Tsuna let out a muffled laugh. "Hibari would probably behead me." Yamamoto decided.

"What're you talking about?" Tsuna whispered back.

"Oh, he has a big ole' crush on you." Hana interjected.

"Not that I blame him." Yamamoto added. He reached forward, snaking his arms around Tsuna's neck. "You're so tiny and cute. And your hair looks like a bird's nest. It's like a human version of Hibird." Yamamoto had dubbed the tiny yellow bird Hibird, and the name had stuck.

"He does not have a crush on me!" Tsuna whispered back. He glanced at Kyoko, who looked hesitant to speak. "Oh, no. Not you too."

"He does seem to prefer you to anyone else." Kyoko admitted. "It's sweet, Tsu-kun." Honestly, to Tsuna, it didn't seem like Hibari was even _capable_ of having any kind of romantic feelings. And he definitely could _never_ imagine him as any sort of sexual being.

"And he's _super_ into the fact that you could beat the shit out of anyone in this school. Probably Octopus-head here too." Yamamoto jerked his thumb in the direction of the transfer student.

"Kyoya does not feel that way about me! Or anyone!" Tsuna insisted, as sternly as he was capable. Hana shrugged, leaning in to whisper. The instructor was definitely beginning to notice they were having a discussion.

"Maybe the guy's asexual. It doesn't really matter. He's nuts. Who could even _guess_ about what goes on in that fucked up head of his. But it's _definitely _kind of romantic." Tsuna pointed a finger at Hana.

"All of you! Mind your own business!" Yamamoto snickered, setting his chin in Tsuna's hair.

"What is going on over here?" The instructor demanded to know. She pointed a finger at Yamamoto. "You. Let go of Sawada-kun." Yamamoto released Tsuna. "Now, Sasagawa-chan, Kurokawa-chan. I would expect this kind of behavior from these two-," She gestured at Yamamoto and Tsuna again. These days, everyone knew they were joined at the hip. "But you two?" Kyoko looked guilty.

"It won't happen again!" She pleaded. It would _definitely_ happen again.

Their teacher held a hand to her forehead, sighing.

"What am I going to _do_ with you four?"

XXXX

Tsuna was getting the feeling he was being followed.

And not _just_ by the silver-haired transfer student.

Yamamoto and Tsuna were walking to Takesushi for a bite to eat after school and it had quickly become clear that the transfer student had followed them from the school.

"Is he still there?" Tsuna whispered to Yamamoto. Yamamoto craned his neck around. "Be subtle!" The baseball player waved.

"Yup! He's not very good at this." Yamamoto added. "He also looks really angry."

"Great. Another enemy." Tsuna mumbled. Yamamoto slung his arm around Tsuna's shoulder, like usual.

"Eh, don't worry about it. You know what would be really funny though?"

"What?" Tsuna asked.

"If we just walked him over to Hibari's house. He'd have a field day with him." He tapped Tsuna's temple. Tsuna lightly swatted his hand.

"I don't know where Hibari lives! And even if I did, if I took you there, he might actually kill you." Yamamoto shrugged.

"So, what are we doing about that guy?"

"We could invite him to eat with us." Tsuna suggested. "Maybe he's just really shy." Yamamoto nodded.

"Let's do it!" They screeched to a halt, and Yamamoto turned his head again. "Oi!" He shouted. Tsuna twisted his head to see the silver-haired transfer student trying to hide behind a telephone poll. "You there!" He peeked out from behind it, face contorted in rage, like Yamamoto had said.

"Do you wanna come eat with us?" Tsuna called out. "We could tell you about the school!" _And how crucial it is that you fix your uniform before Hibari catches you. _

Oh great. They had only served to enrage the guy even further.

"As if I would eat with you!" Gokudera snapped back. He turned on his heel and stormed away. Tsuna sighed, and they turned back around, continuing on their walk. After a few minutes of chatter, the feeling that someone was there still plagued Tsuna.

"Hey, Takeshi?" Yamamoto bumped his head against Tsuna's.

"Yeah?" Tsuna hesitated. On the one hand, it was just a feeling. On the other, it couldn't hurt to tell Yamamoto, in case it wasn't. Tsuna liked to think he had pretty good intuition, and he felt like something was wrong still.

"Did you see anyone else there?" Yamamoto's gaze hardened.

"No. You feel like something is wrong." It wasn't a question. Tsuna nodded.

"I feel like someone is still following us. Besides Gokudera-kun." It had been a while since the last attempt on Tsuna's life, but he was suddenly hyper aware of the scars given to him. Yamamoto seemed to be too, because Tsuna felt his thumb run over Tsuna's shoulder.

"After we eat, I'll stay at your house." Yamamoto decided.

"Takeshi, you don't have to." Yamamoto shook his head.

"I'm going to. If you feel like there's someone following us, there's someone following us."

When they eventually got to Tsuna's house, Yamamoto was welcomed with open arms by Nana. Yamamoto's personality was already deeply likeable and charming. But it was his loyalty to Tsuna that had earned him a special place in Nana's heart.

The first time Yamamoto had been over, Nana had given him a similar line as she had to Hibari.

"I'm so glad my useless son has such a good friend to come over and see him!" Yamamoto had immediately grabbed Tsuna around the shoulders, squeezing him.

"Tsuna's not useless." He said. He wasn't snapping at Nana; it was just like he was stating a face. "He's the best friend I've ever had."

"Oh, that's very kind of you, Yamamoto-kun!" Nana's eyes were wide. Tsuna had mentioned Yamamoto a few times, but Nana hadn't really understood the relationship until now. To be fair, Tsuna didn't tell his mother much these days. "I know the other kids call Tsu-kun dame at school, but I'm glad to know he has such good friends after all!" Yamamoto had just looked at Tsuna, ruffling his hair.

"They don't anymore. And definitely not when I'm around."

That had immediately solidified Yamamoto as an important person to Tsuna in Nana's heart and the baseball player was always welcome over.

"Yamamoto-kun!" Nana exclaimed when they walked in. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"Um, Mom. Is it okay if Takeshi stays over tonight? We have a lot of work we have to get done." Tsuna lied. Nana smiled.

"Of course! Yamamoto-kun is always welcome over." She confirmed. "I can set up the futon in your room or he can sleep in Ietsuna-kun's room!" Yamamoto glanced at Tsuna. Tsuna knew he was going to ask to stay on the futon in Tsuna's room, but it was _fine_. If Yamamoto stayed in the guest room, Tsuna wasn't going to die in the night. He looped his arm around Yamamoto's.

"I think you'll be fine in the guest room, Takeshi. It's right next to mine, y'know." Yamamoto sighed.

"Okay then, Tsuna." He said.

When they finally were up in Tsuna's room, settling at the small table he pulled out from the wall, he tapped out a message to Hibari. It was best to keep him apprised of the situation.

"Who're you texting?" Yamamoto wanted to know. "Is it Hibari?" The baseball player reached out to grab Tsuna's phone. Tsuna yanked it away.

"I'm just letting him know what's going on!" Tsuna insisted. "He likes to be kept in the loop!" Yamamoto laughed.

"I'm just teasing you." Yamamoto said. "I know we were bugging you earlier about him. It's just that he definitely cares for you." Tsuna felt his face flushing.

"Not like that!" Yamamoto held up his hands.

"Hey, I don't know how far it goes, if it's platonic or what. I'm just saying that he's protective of you. He cares for you like no one else. It's a special relationship." Yamamoto admitted, rubbing his jaw.

"Does this mean that you're going to stop messing with him?" Tsuna asked hopefully. Yamamoto considered his words.

"Probably not." Tsuna banged his head against the table. Yamamoto laughed. "It's too much fun, Tsuna!"

They were in there for a few hours, working on homework and getting distracted every twenty minutes. It was beginning to get dark and Tsuna could smell Nana making dinner downstairs.

_Knock, knock_

The sound was so close that it startled Tsuna. He glanced at the door, but it was open, and no one was there. A hand grabbed his arm.

"Oi, Tsuna. Look!" Tsuna turned his head to see Hibari perched on his window sill, shrouded completely in darkness, knocking on the window. The way the light reflected on Hibari's face was ominous, to say the least and his eyes were narrowed in thinly veiled rage.

"He's like a ghost!" Tsuna shrieked. Hibari looked even angrier, and he knocked on the window again. Tsuna scrambled to open it, almost falling back as Hibari hopped through.

"Tsunayoshi." He said, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Yamamoto peered through the window.

"How'd you get up here?" He asked curiously. Hibari rolled his eyes.

"Obviously, the wall by the gate and then the tree." Yamamoto nodded.

"I'll have to try that some time!"  
"You can use the door, Kyoya." Tsuna said. "My mother even said you're _nice_." Hibari's nose scrunched ever so slightly.

"I doubt that's true. I am not 'nice'."

"Was there a really long pause before she said 'nice'?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, whatever. Just use the door!"

"Changing subjects, I see." Yamamoto teased Tsuna, elbowing him as Tsuna took a seat next to him. "What brings you to Tsuna's window, Hibari?"

"I have a line of communication to the local yakuza-," This kind of talk didn't even _faze_ Tsuna anymore. "-, and there were some conflicts with a foreign organization that arrived in the area today."

"Conflicts?" Tsuna asked.

"Murders." Hibari said, ignoring the shocked look on Tsuna's face. "Since the Disciplinary Committee does not take kindly to foreign criminal organizations in Namimori, neither does the yakuza." Hibari looked smug; Tsuna could only guess that Hibari was the source of that change of heart. "A few hitmen have slipped in through the years, but this is a concentrated effort to enter the area by a large organization."

"How many?" Yamamoto asked.

"A team of five people entered Namimori today. Two were killed this afternoon." Hibari informed them. "With any luck, the remaining three will be eliminated soon."

"Was I being followed?" Tsuna asked.

"There was evidence of this group having been present along your walk to TakeSushi." Hibari said. "It's safe to say that yes, you were being followed." Yamamoto put his arm around Tsuna's shoulders again.

"See." He poked him in the cheek. "It's a good thing I'm staying with you tonight." Hibari blinked at them.

"I see. Good. It is best for you to remain here. There will be Disciplinary Committee members patrolling this street tonight." Hibari turned towards the window again, when Nana called up the stairs.

"Tsu-kun! Dinner's ready!"

"Wait, Kyoya! Would you like to stay for dinner?" Tsuna asked quickly.

"I do not care for crowding." The chairman replied.

"Aw, Hibari. It's just me, Tsuna, and his mom! Hardly a crowd." Yamamoto jumped in, squeezing Tsuna. "It's pretty quiet."

"Please!" Tsuna insisted. "I know you've been working all afternoon on this. The least we can do is have you for dinner."

"Tsu-kun! Do you have another friend up there?" Tsuna looked at him with pleading eyes.

"At least let me give you something to go." He begged.

Hibari sighed.

"Fine. Make it quick." The surly chairman snapped.

If Nana was surprised by Hibari Kyoya showing up in her house, she certainly didn't show it. The moment he followed Tsuna down the stairs, she smiled wide.

"Hibari-kun! It's so good to see you again. Will you be staying for dinner?"

"No."

"I thought we could make Kyoya a plate to go, Mom?" Tsuna suggested.

"Of course, Tsu-kun! Please, just take a seat. I'll have it done in just a minute."

Hibari remained standing.

While his mother rustled up a to-go container in the kitchen, Tsuna turned to Hibari.

"I really appreciate you helping me out, Kyoya."

"They are disturbing the peace in Namimori." He said. "It is simply my duty." It was above and _beyond_, in Tsuna's opinion. But then again, Hibari was, as Ryohei would say, an extreme guy.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Hibari!" Yamamoto pulled Tsuna to his chest, lacing his hands over the top of Tsuna's head and resting his chin on them. "I'll hold things down here!"

"What ever would we do without you." Hibari said dryly. Tsuna jabbed him in the arm lightly. Hibari looked down where Tsuna had poked him. "Careful, Tsunayoshi."

"Hey, Tsuna. You should tell him about that weird guy today." Yamamoto said. Hibari blinked.

"Tsunayoshi?"

"Um," Tsuna wasn't sure how to explain this. "We have a transfer student from Italy and he's maybe stalking me." Hibari tilted his head. "Not like obsessively." Tsuna said quickly. "I mean, yes, obsessively. But he's hate-stalking me. He hates me, is what I mean. And Takeshi."

"But mostly Tsuna!" The baseball player chirped. Hibari looked pointedly at Yamamoto.

"And did you _do_ something to elicit this? I know firsthand how irritating this baseball herbivore can be." Hibari looked irritated right _now_.

"He tried to push my chair over and and Takeshi grabbed him before he could." Tsuna confessed. Yamamoto drummed his fingers against Tsuna's head, humming his confirmation.

"He had a bone to pick with Tsuna the minute he got to class. It was _super_ weird. His name is Gokudera Hayato. You're gonna love him." Yamamoto explained. He swayed Tsuna gently from side to side. "But don't worry about a thing! I wouldn't let him mess with Tsuna."

Hibari watched them through narrowed eyes, making a noise.

"What does he look like?" He demanded to know. "This herbivore." Yamamoto answered for Tsuna.

"Um, lots of rings, messy uniform. His hair looks kind of like an octopus, but it's silver." Hibari's face darkened.

"You'll know when you see him." Tsuna admitted.

"He is violating Nami Middle dress code. I will bite him to death."

"Hibari-kun!" Nana entered the room again. She was carrying a steaming to-go container. She pressed it into his hands cheerfully. "Here, I gave you a little bit of everything!" Hibari nodded wordlessly.

"Also, you can use the door." Tsuna added in, unable to keep the smile off his face. Hibari shot him a look. "Just saying." Hibari exited dramatically, his jacket swinging on his shoulders.

"It was so nice of Hibari-kun to drop by!" Nana said excitedly, clasping her hands together, right before the door slammed. Yamamoto just laughed.

After they had all gone to bed, a knock on the door woke Tsuna up. He rubbed his bleary eyes and left his room, propping the door gently. He could see through the partially closed door to the guest room that Yamamoto was dead asleep inside, mouth open, snoring. He hadn't been woken up by the knock and it seemed like neither had Nana. Resolving to leave Yamamoto to sleep for a little while longer, Tsuna padded down the stairs. He was wearing an old t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, which he figured was acceptable at this time of the night.

He checked the peephole first, and saw none other than Gokudera Hayato. He looked like an angry cat, being held by the scruff of his neck by Kusakabe, who was the one knocking on the door. Tsuna opened it immediately, taking a step back.

"Sorry to bother you at this time of night, Tsuna-kun." Kusakabe immediately apologized. Kusakabe was always so polite. "But I caught this one-," he hefted Gokudera. Gokudera yowled and struggled to break free of his grip. "-, prowling around outside your house. Now, I know he's not the one we're keeping an eye out for, so I thought I would bring this matter to you first."

"Thank you very much, Tetsuya-kun." Tsuna said. "Yeah, you can bring him in." He stepped aside, and just as Kusakabe was taking a step over the threshold, there was a loud,

_CRACK!_

Unmistakably a gunshot. Tsuna winced.

Kusakabe immediately ducked down, releasing Gokudera. The silver-haired boy fell to the ground and pulled himself up immediately, hissing and spitting.

"What the _fuck_ was that?" He hissed. There were loud footsteps upstairs, as Yamamoto came running into view at the top of the stairs. His hair was flat on one side, spiky on the other, but his eyes were clear and his shinai was on his back.

"Tsuna?" He demanded. "Are you okay?" He rushed down the stairs.

"Yes!" Tsuna insisted. "The gunshot was outside." Tsuna was already pulling on his shoes.

"Tsuna-kun, I don't know if you should-," Tsuna ignored Kusakabe and ran out the door.

There were three assailants, all carrying handguns. They were firing at the singular other member of the DC out there, who had ducked behind a dumpster. The moment Tsuna stepped out of his house, he heard shouts from the assailants, who noticed him. Tsuna ducked and rolled to the gate, hiding behind the pillar. He could see the DC member across the road, cowering behind the dumpster. Tsuna twisted, glancing behind the pillar quickly. The assailants were approaching.

They all carried handguns, and Tsuna had counted one shot from the first assailant, a blonde haired man, two from the second, a red-headed woman with long hair, and finally, one from the third, who Tsuna couldn't really see.

"Tsuna!" He heard the angry whisper, as Yamamoto came running out of the house, no shoes on. He was pulling his shinai off his back, Kusakabe and Gokudera behind him.

"I tried to keep him in the house." Kusakabe admitted.

"I'll take care of this _mess_." Gokudera hissed. He had somehow found the time to light a cigarette.

And Tsuna watched in _shock_ as Gokudera pulled out a stick of dynamite from his jacket, lighting the end with his cigarette.

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna shouted, as the silver-haired boy tossed it towards the assailants.

It went off with a _bang!_ And Tsuna heard screams from one of the assailants, who apparently had not been fast enough to avoid it.

"Who _are_ you?" Tsuna asked, gazing at the mysterious boy in front of him. Gokudera glared at him.

"I can't believe you've been chosen to be the _Tenth_ and you don't even know who I am." The _Tenth?_

"What?" Tsuna blurted out.

"I'm Smokin' Bomb Hayato. One of the best young hitmen in the mafia." Gokudera snapped. "And I'm here to _challenge_ you." Tsuna didn't understand a lot of what Gokudera said, but he got that part.

"You fucking brat kid!" Came the shout. Two more shots were fired simultaneously.

"You hurt her!" Came the other.

Tsuna did the math in his head.

"Each one of them have four-,"

"Shots left." Gokudera finished. "Obviously." Another shot. Gokudera peeked around the corner. "First one has three left, second has four."

"What is going on?" Tsuna demanded, bewildered.

"I've been watching you. To see if you were worthy. And they must be out of their _mind_ to choose you as Decimo. You're weak. You're _nothing_." Gokudera snapped.

"Choose me as _what_?" Tsuna said. "I have literally no idea what you're talking about. I haven't been chosen for anything." Gokudera huffed smoke in his face.

"Quit lying to me! You can't fool me!" He gritted his teeth. "And that's why I'm going to challenge you, to be the next Decimo."

"Listen, I don't know what this is about." Yamamoto cut in. "But we have two very angry hitmen outside Tsuna's house. We need to take care of them first."

"Oh, I will." Gokudera insisted. "Even though _you're_ too weak too. I want to kill you myself." He pulled two sticks of dynamite out of his jacket this time, lighting them both with the end of his cigarette. He threw them out towards the hitmen. "Double bomb!" He shouted.

They both went off, but there were no cries of help, so Tsuna could only assume the two hitmen had dodged. Yamamoto darted forward, nodding at Tsuna.

"I go left, you go right?" He said, as Tsuna followed him out into the cloud of smoke. Yamamoto seemed to see a shape before Tsuna did, because he swung his shinai forward quickly, and it clanged against the metal of a gun. There was a curse in the dark, as Yamamoto twisted his shinai, sending it flying out of his hand. Behind them Kusakabe was grabbing the injured DC member, helping him to safety.

Meanwhile, Tsuna couldn't see through the cloud, but he heard the unmistakable cocking of a gun. Tsuna grabbed Yamamoto by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down as the shot went off over their heads.

The smoke was beginning to clear now and Yamamoto sprang up immediately, jabbing his shinai forward and sending the hitman flying out of the smoke. The baseball player pursued him.

Meanwhile, Tsuna saw the other hitman and was about to disarm him, hands out and ready, flames itching at his fingertips, when a stick of dynamite flew in front of his face, landing squarely in between the hitman and Tsuna. The hitman smirked and jumped back, as Tsuna stomped on the fuse, putting it out.

"Gokudera!" He shouted. "Stop that! You're gonna get me killed!"

"That's the point, you _idiot_!"

The metal of the gun flashed at Tsuna under the streetlights and Tsuna immediately grabbed the hitman's wrist and twisted it away as the gun fired into the ground. He struck the hitman in the chin, sending him stumbling back, and was about to send the hitman flat on his back when two more sticks of dynamite flew in front of him. Tsuna caught one in his hand, defusing it with his fingers, grabbing the other off the ground quickly and defusing it when it wouldn't go out with a stomp. It didn't really hurt, the spark. Tsuna found that he could barely feel hot things anymore. Something to do with the fact that he could _produce_ flames.

"Are you _crazy_?" Tsuna screamed.

"Triple Bomb!" He heard the yell behind him.

_Crack!_ The hitman had fired again, Tsuna ducking to avoid it. It didn't hit Gokudera, but the surprise caused him to drop all three of the lit sticks of dynamite at his feet. Tsuna briefly made eye contact with the transfer student, seeing the shock on his face. As he realized he was about to die by his own stupid design.

"Tsuna DON'T-," He heard a yell, not sure if it came from Yamamoto or Kusakabe.

Tsuna tackled Gokudera out of the way, wrapping his body around him, just as all three went off.

_BANG!_

The impact _hurt_.

Just as Tsuna felt the explosion collide with his body, he got that funny feeling in his head again, his vision blacking in and out.

And then in again.

And it was like seeing for the first _time_.

He could feel everything with such clarity. The smoke clogging the street. The scrapes on his hands from shoving Gokudera down. The fact that the clothes on his back were in tatters.

And he knew, vaguely, that he'd taken some damage. But it barely hurt.

And he was _hyper_ aware of Yamamoto crouching behind the dumpster, next to the unconscious form of Hitman #1, the second ducked to the side, but very much conscious. Tsuna hadn't even turned, and he knew where they were.

It was almost like having his face dunked in cold water; every nerve ending on his body stood at attention, ready to fight.

"T-tenth..." Came the whisper from underneath him, and Tsuna looked down to see Gokudera's eyes wide, mouth open. He was shocked; but his expression wasn't just that. There was something like...adoration in it. "You saved me."

Gokudera's face was lit up. Not just figuratively; it was literally bathed in a warm light. Tsuna was able to see sparks of some kind of flame dancing in the reflection of Gokudera's eyes. He studied it closely, and realized he could see his own reflection in it.

There was a flame. _On his forehead_.

He was surprised, of course. But while before he might have jerked back in shock, he filed it away to react to later, adjusting to his new reality with a shocking speed.

"Stay down." Tsuna told Gokudera. "I don't want you getting hurt."

_His voice_.

It was deeper, certainly. But almost...without emotion.

Tsuna climbed off Gokudera, and stood up, the smoke beginning to clear. His body was hot, he knew. Both from taking the bomb's heat and impact and whatever was going on with his fire. But Tsuna wasn't burned at all. In fact, the heat was curling off of him.

He walked forward, head snapping in the direction of the second hitman. He was aware Yamamoto was staring at him, bewildered.

"You." He said. The hitman sprang to his feet, looking shocked.

"I-i-," The hitman stammered. "I didn't know who you were!"

Tsuna punched him in the stomach, feeling the man's ribs crack under his increased strength.

It was like the hitman had been hit by a cannon; he went rocketing thirty feet down the street, eventually skidding across the pavement, unconscious from the moment Tsuna hit him.

Vaguely, Tsuna was aware of Hibari approaching in the distance, having been drawn by the noise.

The smoke had mostly cleared, and Tsuna stood there, bathed in warm light. Almost statuesque.

Gokudera threw himself at Tsuna's feet and Tsuna looked down curiously.

"_Tenth!_" He exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! I never intended to actually be Decimo. It's just that...when I heard that Decimo was a boy my age, I felt like I had to challenge you. And you've exceeded every expectation I had. And you..." Gokudera got tearful. "You saved me. I threatened you, I tried to kill you. And you saved me, even if it was going to cost you your own life." Gokudera averted his eyes that Tsuna knew were shining with tears. "No one has ever protected me like that before. I don't care where you go; I'll follow. I'll follow you _anywhere_." He had reached up to clasp Tsuna's hand. He pressed his head against Tsuna's leg.

Tsuna placed one hand on Gokudera's head, looking up at Hibari, who had stopped in his tracks at the scene before him.

"Kyoya." He said. Hibari narrowed his eyes at the "herbivore" begging at Tsuna's feet. Undoubtedly one more that had attached himself to Tsuna. He seemed surprisingly unfazed by the fact that a bright orange flame was spouting from Tsuna's head.

"The fight is finished, Kyo-san." Kusakabe whispered.

Hibari threw his tonfas on the ground angrily.

And then Tsuna blacked out for _real_.

XXXX

Just thought I would mention as well that in this timeline, Ietsuna was the obviously flame-active child, so Tsuna's whole seal situation is weird and not like it was before, which is why he can do all this.


	7. Chapter 7

Now that Gokudera's here, we're gonna get into the _mafia_

XXXX

When he woke up, he couldn't pinpoint an exact injury.

But _God_ did his body hurt.

"Ughhhh..." He muttered as he tried to sit up. There was a noise like someone choking near him, and Tsuna opened his bleary eyes to see Yamamoto jerking up from the floor next to him, drool on his chin. His eyes were equally bleary, but when he saw Tsuna, they cleared. Yamamoto immediately lunged forward, grasping Tsuna's face in his hands.

"Tsuna!" Tsuna attempted to speak, but his mouth was so _dry_.

"Takeshi..." His voice came out raspy.

"Tsuna, don't speak. I'll get you some water." Yamamoto scrambled to grab a glass off the side table, pressing it to Tsuna's lips. He reached out and grabbed Tsuna's hand, wrapping it around the glass. "Do you got it? Or do you want me to hold on?" Tsuna opened his mouth, and a horrible raspy noise came out. His face flushed in embarrassment. Yamamoto smiled at him and gently bumped his forehead against Tsuna's. "I got you." He held onto the glass.

After Tsuna drank some water, he was able to talk. Yamamoto helped him sit up.

"What time is it?" Tsuna asked. Yamamoto checked the clock.

"Noon." Tsuna bolted upright in bed, his muscles screaming at him.

"_What?_" It was the middle of the school day!

The baseball player placed a hand on Tsuna's shoulder.

"Relax. Hibari saw you shoot flames from your forehead. We're both out 'sick'." Yamamoto explained. "Speaking of which...what _was_ that?" Tsuna shook his head.

"I have no fucking idea." Yamamoto laughed.

"Another mystery, of course." He ruffled Tsuna's hair. "I'm just glad you're okay. Man, you launched that guy to _space_." Tsuna let out a breathy laugh.

"What happened to Gokudera?" He asked.

"Oh, he's sitting outside your house."

"_What_?" Yamamoto just shrugged.

"He wouldn't leave your side. When you collapsed, Hibari had to pry him off of you. And then he didn't want to leave, but Hibari told him that if he entered your house when he wasn't here, he would beat him to death." He rubbed the back of his neck. "He doesn't trust Gokudera. I don't know if I do either."

"He said...a lot of things." Tsuna admitted. "I was really confused about what he was talking about. It's gotta have _something_ to do with all these people that have been coming after me, right?" Tsuna asked. "It can't all be a coincidence."

"Maybe this is an opportunity." Yamamoto suggested. "We finally have someone who was sent after you on our side. He can tell us a lot." Suddenly, Yamamoto grabbed his phone. "Speaking of which, I told Hibari I'd let him know when you were awake."

"What happened to my mom, by the way?" Tsuna asked. "Did she even wake up last night?" Yamamoto considered his words, and then laughed.

"Your mom sleeps with ear plugs and an eye mask." He said. "We checked in on her, to see why she hadn't run out screaming. She didn't even _wake up_."

Tsuna was continuously impressed by his mother's ability to remain in her own world.

They chatted for a while longer, until they heard voices outside.

"Can I come-," They heard the enthusiastic shout, followed by a quick,

"No."

"You can't _keep me_ from Jyuudaime-," And the sound of a tonfa hitting a soft, breakable body.

"How is he getting into my house?" Tsuna asked, as they heard the door open and Hibari begin to walk up the stairs.

"Oh, he took your key."

Hibari appeared in Tsuna's doorway silently, before wrinkling his nose at Yamamoto.

"Go take a shower, herbivore. You smell _disgusting_."

"Hey, Tsuna smells like a bonfire." It was true. But Tsuna placed a hand on Yamamoto's arm nonetheless.

"Takeshi, you've been by my side all night. Go, stretch your legs. Take a shower. Get some food and water for _yourself_." He said. "I'll be _fine_." Yamamoto looked hesitant, but knowing that Tsuna was in safe hands with Hibari, got up and left the room.

Hibari took a seat on the small table that Tsuna and Yamamoto had been doing homework on the night before. He crossed his arms.

"I can't explain, sorry." Tsuna came out with it. "I don't know what the fuck that was. Or how I did it." Hibari rolled his eyes.

"What else is new." He responded sarcastically. "The hitmen have been taken for interrogation. The DC is working on them now, and I will personally be handling the matter." He said. "And as for that herbivore outside your house..."

"I don't know what he was talking about." Tsuna said. "He kept calling me the Tenth, or Decimo." Hibari sighed.

"Everything I learn about you and the attempts on your life only complicates the situation. Are you being pursued because of your father? This ability you have? Or because of what this idiot herbivore insists, that you have been chosen as the 'Tenth'?" Hibari mused aloud. "I initially thought that we would simply deal with these herbivores as they came. But there is something deeper at play here, Tsunayoshi."

"Did you ever hear back from the yakuza?" Tsuna asked hopefully. "About these guys?"

"Yes. They come from an Italian criminal organization. What we would refer to as 'mafia'." Tsuna forced himself to sit up, hissing in pain.

"Gokudera-kun said something about being a known hitman in the mafia. Maybe he can clear some things up for us?"

"I hate that stupid herbivore." Hibari snapped.

"Oh, don't hold back."

"I will not. He attempts to kill you and then has the audacity to literally _beg_ at your feet, to touch you, to refuse to leave your side?" Hibari was _pissed_. "You should not have saved him."

"He's our age, Kyoya. I couldn't leave him to die." Tsuna responded quietly. "He didn't deserve to die just for being angry kid."

"I would have let him die." Hibari responded coldly. Tsuna went to shift in bed, and hissed in pain. "Stop moving, you idiot." Tsuna ignored him, and tried to move again. Hibari stood up abruptly, wrapping his arms around Tsuna and lifting him into the position Tsuna was trying to move to. It hurt, but it was faster than the pain Tsuna was putting himself through trying to do it on his own. Hibari let go and stepped back, looking angry. "If you _insist_ on sitting up."

"J-just sit down." Tsuna said. He gestured at the bed in front of him.

"I prefer to stand."

"We aren't going to bring Gokudera-kun in until Takeshi is done cleaning up anyways." Tsuna said. "Just sit down so I don't have to crane my neck to look at you."

"Hn." But Hibari took a seat on Tsuna's bed anyways.

"I know you're angry about Gokudera-kun and missing the fight, but quit throwing a tantrum."

"I am _not_ throwing a tantrum." Hibari hissed. He _absolutely_ was. Tsuna reached out and took Hibari's hand between his. Hibari didn't pull his hand away, but he certainly didn't look comfortable.

"Kyoya, everything is going to be _fine_." Tsuna insisted. "We'll figure it all out."

"This stupid herbivore put your life in jeopardy."

"But look! I'm fine." Tsuna said.

"That is _debatable_." Tsuna reached out, placing his hands on Hibari's shoulders. They were broader than he realized, stronger than Tsuna could see. He ignored it and pulled the skylark forward.

"Kyoya. I just...I have a _feeling_ about this. It's intuition. And not regular intuition. Flame-on-my-forehead intuition." Tsuna said. "I'm going to give Gokudera-kun the benefit of the doubt. I'm not asking you to trust him. I'm asking you to trust _me_." Hibari studied Tsuna's face for a second. Suddenly, he leaned forward, and Tsuna's hands slid off Hibari's shoulders, closer to Hibari's neck. He let out a squeak, as he felt his hand brush up against the hair at the nape of the older boy's neck. He knew his face was flushed red at the sudden closeness.

"I trust _you_." Hibari finally said. "But if he goes after you again, I will _kill_ him." Tsuna nodded wordlessly. Hibari pulled back, and Tsuna removed his hands from his shoulders. The skylark kept his eyes on Tsuna though, and after another second of silence, he poked Tsuna in the forehead, where the flame had burst from. His sleeves were rolled up and Tsuna could see the scar on Hibari's forearm where Tsuna had sank his teeth in. "Now tell me about this."

It was lunch time, so while Tsuna was in the middle of explaining what he had experienced while he had the flame on his head, Hibari suddenly rotated around, and laid his head in Tsuna's nap. Tsuna flushed bright red, but the skylark's eyes were closed. It was almost 1. So that meant naptime to Hibari, of course.

"Continue." Hibari said. "I am listening."

"I know it's your usual nap time, but are you _that_ tired?" Tsuna asked incredulously. Hibari cracked one eye open.

"I was up until sunrise cleaning up this mess." Hibari said. "So yes, I _am_ that tired." He closed his eyes again. Tsuna wasn't sure what to do with his hands. He ultimately settled on leaving them on either side of his legs. Hibari's dark hair was splayed out on Tsuna's lap and Tsuna _kinda_ wanted to touch it. But he was also way too scared to do anything like that.

"Y'know, Takeshi has been cleaning up for a while. Maybe he fell asleep in the shower." Tsuna mused out loud.

"Maybe he'll drown." Hibari muttered.

"You're _terrible_." Tsuna said, muffling a laugh. Of course, the idea of anything bad happening to Yamamoto was horrible. But it was comical how much Hibari personally disliked him. Not hate; that was reserved for Gokudera.

"And yet, here I am." Hibari said tonelessly. "Continue."

When Yamamoto eventually walked in, hair wet from the shower, towel around his shoulders, he stopped in the doorway, taking in the sight before him. Tsuna immediately flushed red, and Yamamoto winked at him, before blowing Tsuna a kiss.

"If you are making faces, I would recommend you cease immediately." Hibari said. He didn't open his eyes. Yamamoto snickered.

"Oh, Hibari! Didn't see you there!" Tsuna wanted to die. "So, are we gonna let Octopus-head stay out there forever, or are we bringing the dog inside at some point?" Hibari arched an eyebrow silently and Tsuna covered his mouth.

"You are _both_ terrible!" Yamamoto laughed again and padded over. He ruffled Tsuna's hair before sitting on the floor.

"You love us anyways."

"And the dog is most certainly that boxing herbivore." Hibari said dryly.

"You _are_ a funny guy!" Yamamoto exclaimed. "I knew it." He rubbed his jaw. "Gokudera is like a stray cat. He'll scratch up the furniture, sure. But you patted him on the head and gave him milk once and now he'll never leave your house."

"I cannot emphasize this enough, Tsunayoshi. And I implore you to remember. I hate that stupid herbivore." Hibari said, as he lifted his head from Tsuna's lap, turning to face both Tsuna and Yamamoto. Tsuna covered his eyes.

"Let's just talk to him first." He pleaded.

XXXX

Tsuna was sitting on his bed, legs folded. Yamamoto sat in front of him, smiling as always, but with his shinai laying across his lap. Tsuna had tried to tell Yamamoto to just sit next to him, but Yamamoto had just smiled and said he had preferred the floor. Tsuna knew that it was _actually_ because Yamamoto wanted to put himself between Tsuna and the guy who had almost killed him. He ran his fingers through his friend's hair and Yamamoto tilted his head back to smile up at Tsuna.

Hibari stood off to the side, expression blank, but his arms crossed. Tsuna had gotten good at reading Hibari's body language and everything about Hibari was on edge.

Gokudera was sitting on the ground in front of them, looking adoringly at Tsuna. He didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation he had gotten himself into. Tsuna had zero doubt in his mind that if Gokudera made a move to hurt Tsuna, the retribution would be monumental.

"Jyuudaime-,"

"Gokudera-kun." Tsuna interrupted. The silver-haired boy closed his mouth immediately. "I'm not your boss. You don't owe me anything." Tsuna could tell those words were having _no_ effect on Gokudera.

"But, Jyuudaime, you _saved_ me. I _want_ to pledge myself to someone like that." Tsuna rubbed his face, frustrated. He heard Hibari shift next to him, and he shot Hibari a brief look, before he forced himself to take charge.

"Gokudera-kun, when you call me _Jyuudaime_, it just confuses me. I don't understand what you were talking about earlier." Tsuna confessed. "Can I ask you some questions about it?" Gokudera nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course!"

"Y-you...called me the _Tenth_." Tsuna's brow furrowed. "The Tenth of _what_ exactly?" Gokudera blinked, and Tsuna watched a variety of expressions cross Gokudera's face.

"You...really don't know?" The transfer student asked genuinely, some of the blind adoration fading off his face.

"Why did you _come_ here?" Tsuna asked.

"What do you know about the Italian mafia?" Gokudera asked suddenly. Yamamoto brightened, cocking his head to the side.

"Oh, that's interesting." He remarked. "Not much, right, Tsuna?" He glanced up, and Tsuna shook his head. The baseball player looked to Hibari. "Hibari, anything?" Hibari remained silent for a moment before he responded.

"I am aware of certain entities. The Hibari family has certain long-term connections that I have been apprised of." Hibari responded evasively. Tsuna had been friends with Hibari for a while now, and all he was really sure of regarding Hibari's family was that his extended family was a huge clan and they were all ultra-wealthy. The former he had only learned from Kusakabe, who had once let a comment slip about the "Hibari clan" and Tsunan pestered him until he gave a very short, tight-lipped explanation.

Tsuna could never decide; sometimes he was certain that Hibari's family was involved in law enforcement. Other times, he was sure they were criminals. He had never been able to confirm or deny either. And the skylark did not take too kindly to questions about his family.

"Do you know the name Vongola?" Gokudera asked. A look of recognition passed over Hibari's face.

"Vaguely. I know they are a large, Italian mafia family. They hold a lot of power, but the Hibari family has no personal interactions with them that I am aware of." This conversation should have been enlightening about of which persuasion the Hibari family belonged to, but it was _not_.

Gokudera narrowed his eyes.

"They're not just _any_ mafia family. They're _the_ Family. The most powerful family in the world." Gokudera snapped.

"That must be pretty cool, huh." Yamamoto said. Tsuna watched Gokudera rapidly transition from irritated to _irate_.

"You-,"

"Gokudera-kun." Tsuna interrupted. "What does the Vongola have to do with me?" Gokudera let out a sigh.

"Everyone has known for a while that they were choosing a successor to the Ninth boss. It was only officially announced that Decimo is young, around our age, and that he is currently being tutored to be the perfect successor." Gokudera explained.

He had called Tsuna _Decimo._ But if someone was tutoring Tsuna, he certainly didn't know about it. Plus, he felt like he would know if he had been chosen to be a mafia boss. The whole idea seemed ridiculous.

"And you think that's Tsuna." Yamamoto pointed out. He looked up at Tsuna, a mischievous look on his face. "Tsuna, you would tell us if you had been chosen to succeed an international criminal organization, right?" He asked innocently. Tsuna groaned. "You know, that wasn't actually a _yes_." He swatted lightly at Yamamoto's head.

"Yes, I would tell you."

"I overheard Japan, Sawada, and something _like_ Tsuna." Gokudera said. "And I was certain it was you. You-," He stopped himself.

Tsuna froze.

Yamamoto was chatting and making jokes, but Tsuna's ears were ringing. He couldn't even focus on the conversation in front of him, even as Hibari pressed him with questions, about _what exactly made you think bringing dynamite into a middle school was in line with school rules_

It was pretty easy to mishear Sawada Ietsuna as Sawada Tsuna.

And Ietsuna had been in Italy for _years_ now. Some kind of long term international study program.

Tsuna had fucking believed it.

He was so _stupid_.

He sprang up off the bed suddenly, throwing open the window. Yamamoto jumped up as well, coming to grab Tsuna's shoulder as Tsuna kneeled down by the window, gripping the ledge and closing his eyes. He knelt down by Tsuna, hand rubbing small circles in his back worriedly. Tsuna ignored the cry of _Jyuudaime!_

"Tsuna." Yamamoto whispered. "What do you need?"

"Just let me-," Tsuna cut himself off. He couldn't tell if he was angry or humiliated or both. Either way, he felt like he was going to throw up. He put his face in his hands.

He heard shuffling behind him, and suddenly, Yamamoto's hand left his shoulder, his comforting presence gone.

"You shouldn't move any closer." Yamamoto's words were cheery, but Tsuna could _feel_ the killing intent behind them. It was shocking. "Gokudera-kun." The boy in question seemed to pick up on at least a modicum of the resolve Yamamoto possessed and there was more shuffling. "Thank you, Gokudera-kun!" The killing intent was gone.

They sat in silence for a moment, before Tsuna finally forced himself to ask a question, his voice shaky.

"Gokudera-kun, you must have seen I have an older brother."

"Yes, Jyuudaime."

"And his name is Ietsuna."

"Yes." Came the firm reply.

"Why were you so sure it was me?" Tsuna still hadn't turned around, cradling his head in his hands.

"You bear a striking resemblance to the founder of Vongola. It's _uncanny_." Gokudera said, his voice serious. "It made sense to me that you would be hidden in Japan. If you were in Italy, everyone would know who you were immediately. You would be a target."

"Did the Ninth Boss not have children?" Hibari asked. "Why is there even a mystery of who his successor is?"

Tsuna heard Gokudera swallow.

"He had four sons." Gokudera admitted. "Three were killed and the youngest disappeared."

_Nothing_ about that made Tsuna feel better.

"You were wrong." He muttered.

"Jyuudaime?"

"You were _wrong_." He said, his tongue feeling thick in his mouth. "I haven't been chosen for anything. No one has come to talk to me about the mafia. But Ietsuna has been studying in Italy for almost five years now. He's the one you're looking for." Tsuna pulled his face out of his hands. When he turned around, he must have looked like shit, because Yamamoto immediately reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Jyuudaime..." Gokudera whispered.

"Don't call me that." Tsuna said. He hugged his knees to his chest. "I'm not a mafioso, Gokudera-kun. You have the wrong brother." Gokudera moved forward and Hibari took a step forward. Gokudera froze, glancing at the older boy who was watching the scene unfold intently. Gokudera shifted and Hibari took another step forward. The silver-haired boy got the message.

"Jy-...Sawada-san." Gokudera finally said. "I don't care if you _aren't_ Vongola X." Tsuna thought about the x-shaped scars on his back from the attempt on his life. He could have laughed at the irony. "You saved my life. I put you in danger and you saved my life anyways. And then you _crushed_ those hitmen with...a power I've only seen in the Vongola." Gokudera confessed. "I don't have anyone or anything to follow. No one has ever shown me kindness like you did. I want to stay _with you_."

"I'm not your boss. I'm not _anyone's_ boss." Tsuna said. "And I never will be. You said you were looking for Decimo and that's not me." Tsuna wasn't sure if he was really processing the situation to its full extent.

His brother was being groomed to take over the most powerful mafia family in the _world._

The idea sounded ridiculous, but it made sense. Why Ietsuna had left so many years ago. Why he was studying in Italy, why he never came home.

But Tsuna was still convinced his father must have known something, somehow. After all, it had been Iemitsu who had sold Nana on letting Ietsuna study abroad.

Maybe, in some twisted way, Ietsuna thought that leaving them would keep them safe. That Tsuna and Nana wouldn't be targets if he wasn't around. Tsuna desperately wanted to think that was true.

It hadn't done any good though, even if it was.

Tsuna had still spent his entire life fighting to keep it.

And he had resigned himself to it, if the way he was accepting this news was anything.

Ietsuna was chosen to be this _Decimo_ and Tsuna would have to live with the consequences.

"I don't care." Gokudera declared. He levelled with Tsuna seriously. "I _don't care_. I want to be here for _you_." He bowed his head. "I know that the way I acted put you at risk. I know I treated you poorly. I can't apologize enough. There's not a lot I can do to make up for it. But I _saw_ that those men were after you. I _can_ protect you. And I will." His eyes pleaded with Tsuna. "Let me watch your back. Let me protect you."

Tsuna scrubbed at his eyes. The silver-haired boy just seemed so _earnest_. Tsuna knew, deep in his heart, that all Gokudera wanted was acceptance. And he wanted to give it to him, not to manipulate him, not to use him. But because Tsuna knew what it was to lack that acceptance.

Tsuna's own life felt like it was in ruins at that moment, but he could do this before Gokudera.

"On one condition, Gokudera-kun." Gokudera's head shot up. Tsuna didn't even _want_ to look at the expression on Hibari's face. "You're my friend first. I can protect myself. I'd rather you want to be here for _you_, than feeling like you owe it to me to protect me." Gokudera smiled, wide and genuine.

"Of course, Sawada-san." Tsuna made a decision.

"Tsuna. You can call me Tsuna." The silver-haired boy's face lit up.

"Tsuna. And I know you said that you want me to be your friend first, but I _will_ watch your back." Yamamoto shook his head..

"Ma, ma, Gokudera. You're gonna need to pick something else. I already have Tsuna's back." Gokudera's face flushed, his hands balling into fists.

"It's just an expression you_-!" _Gokudera cut himself off. "Then I'll be his _right-hand man_!" He said triumphantly.

"Works for me!"

"Tsunayoshi." Hibari said flatly, and Tsuna looked over. Hibari was _enraged_. "Must I elaborate?"

"Um, no." Tsuna squeaked. Hibari huffed. "Takeshi, why don't you and Gokudera-kun go downstairs? I'm sure my mom left some food in the fridge for us." Tsuna suggested. Gokudera did not seem to pick up at all that a private conversation was about to occur, but thankfully, Yamamoto did. He grabbed Gokudera by the elbow.

"Let's go eat, octopus-head!" He said cheerfully. Gokudera ripped his elbow out of Yamamoto's grasp.

"Don't touch me you...baseball _idiot!_"

"Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship!" Yamamoto steered Gokudera out of the room pushing the door shut with his foot.

As soon as the door was closed, Tsuna turned to Hibari, who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Are you determined to _collect_ herbivores?" Hibari demanded. Tsuna winced.

"I just...I'm kind of not doing so well right now, Kyoya." Tsuna said, rubbing his neck. "But I could do this small thing for someone. So I did." Tsuna sat down on his bed, hands on his lap. He let out a huff of breath. Hibari repositioned so he could look at Tsuna directly. He opened his mouth, but Tsuna rubbed his face again. "I know, Kyoya. I don't think I can have this conversation right now. We can talk about this later." There was just so much _shit_ to sort through.

"Fine, but we _will_ have it." Hibari insisted. "I assume you want to talk about your brother. And this-," he waved a hand. "-Vongola business."

"It makes sense." Tsuna confessed. "Almost all of it."

"Almost." Hibari agreed. "But there is something missing. These assassins have mentioned your father by _name_. And he came up nowhere in this explanation." Tsuna groaned.

"And these attempts on my life started before Ietsuna was probably chosen." Tsuna agreed. "Maybe it _is_ because I look like this first boss, or whatever. Did you learn anything yet from the guys who attacked us?" Tsuna asked. Hibari wrinkled his nose.

"Not yet. And it has plagued me for some time that I have not been able to get more information from past attackers." He admitted, looking frustrated. "Other than that they were looking for the son of Sawada Iemitsu. They didn't seem to know anything about a _Decimo_, or were very good about hiding it." He looked pensive for a moment. "The one from years ago, who broke into your house, seemed knowledgeable. But I suppose we did not know what questions to ask at the time."

"What about the one on the roof?" Tsuna asked. "He seemed...talkative." He shivered at the memory, the knife in his mouth, the grip on his jaw. Hibari's eyes flicked to the side, irritated.

"That one has been brain-dead in an ICU in Tokyo for months." Tsuna's eyes widened.

"You said he was just in the hospital!"

"I did not lie." Hibari defended himself. "I had no way to know the extent of his injuries at the time. I simply did not feel it was necessary to update you when I was informed of his long-term condition." Tsuna gaped at Hibari.

"What did you _do_ to him on the roof?"

"He _shot_ you, you _idiot._" Hibari snapped. "What was I supposed to do, recruit him into the Disciplinary Committee?" It was a dig about Gokudera, and Tsuna knew that. He felt miserable. Hibari must have noticed, because even though he didn't apologize, his next words softened. "Tsunayoshi, this knowledge changes nothing in all practicality. Your life will be almost the same as before you knew. We will deal with these assassins as they come. You will train to be stronger."

"I know." Tsuna said. "I'm okay with it, I really am." He assured Hibari. And he kind of was. "It's just a _lot_ to take in. This organization I never even knew existed...and now I have this unbreakable connection to it. It's weird." Tsuna sighed. "What do you know about Vongola?"

Hibari shook his head.

"As much as I said. Merely of their existence. The Hibaris operate primarily in Asia." Hibari admitted. Tsuna eyed the skylark.

"Kyoya, I really _cannot_ tell. Is your family in law enforcement, or organized crime?" Hibari scrunched his nose.

"The answer to that is not simple. The Hibaris are not aligned by organization, but by cause. It is not important which side of the law that may be on." Hibari responded. "I am not unlike my family in that regard." He admitted. "I will not be taking any more questions about my family at this time."

"I will bug you about this again." Tsuna promised. "You are so _mysterious_."

"Everyone else is simply _stupid_." Hibari insisted.

"Let's go eat." Tsuna said, standing up. "Or Gokudera might kill Takeshi."

"He is uniquely irritating." Hibari said dryly.

A pause; and then-

"I don't disapprove of the baseball herbivore." Hibari finally admitted. "He would have killed the Italian one for you. I think he still would, if you asked him to." Tsuna didn't want to think about Yamamoto that way, but he remembered the feeling of killing intent that filled the room. And that he was certain Yamamoto had smiled all the way through it.

"I wouldn't." Tsuna said. "Never." He would never ask Yamamoto to go that far for him.

Hibari didn't say anything else.

He accompanied Tsuna downstairs, the clamor of voices reaching them while they descended the stairs. Hibari made a face.

"Stop _raiding the fridge, you insatiable freak!" _Came the shout.

"I'm just hungry, Gokudera! Besides, Tsuna said to get something to eat."

"He didn't mean to _gorge_ yourself on food like a wild animal!" Tsuna was pretty sure Yamamoto's stomach was a bottomless pit. He could only imagine what Gokudera was witnessing at this moment.

"Oh, look who's _snooping_ in Tsuna's house now!" Yamamoto crowed good-naturedly. "He was pretty little in that picture, huh?" Tsuna vaguely wondered what picture they had picked up.

Especially when silence followed.

"I know, Baby Tsuna was cute." A flicking noise. "Gokudera?"

Gokudera came into view; he was holding a picture from the ledge by the kitchen. Nana had filled the outcropping with photos of Iemitsu and the family and little knick-knacks. Tsuna honestly couldn't remember what photos were there specifically. It had been a long time since he seriously looked at any of them.

Yamamoto was flicking Gokudera in the head. Tsuna snorted to himself. Gokudera smacked Yamamoto's hand away blindly, catching him in the face.

"Stop touching me." He held the frame closer to his face.

"Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna asked. "Is something wrong?" Gokudera's head snapped to the side and he looked worried.

"Um, Tsuna. It's just..." He held the frame out to Tsuna. Tsuna took it, and Hibari peered over his shoulder. It was Tsuna as a toddler, being held by a much older man Tsuna vaguely remembered. Next to him was Ietsuna, who had short, blonde hair like their father. He was being held by a smiling Iemitsu. Gokudera tapped the old man. "This is _Nono._" There was awe in his voice. "You're being held by the Ninth boss of the Vongola."

"I remember him, a little. He told me to call him Grandpa, but he wasn't actually my grandfather." Tsuna said. "I guess it makes sense, that he had met me and Ietsuna before."

"But, Tsuna. The guy next to him." Gokudera tapped Tsuna's father, before releasing the frame. Tsuna felt the dread beginning to build in his stomach. "This is the _Young Lion of Vongola._ I've only ever seen him before; I don't even know his name. He's an outside advisor to the Vongola and he's been Nono's top confidante since before I was _born_."

Tsuna saw red.

"That's my father." His voice cracked.

The _implications_ this had. Tsuna had been right all along; it _was_ his father. His father, who had been a top advisor to a mafia family since before Tsuna was born. His _father_ who was probably responsible for selecting a successor to the family.

_Who had groomed and chosen his own son, and had paid fuck-all attention to Tsuna and Nana_.

Tsuna and Nana, who had been under _constant threat his entire life._

Tsuna's back ached suddenly, and his head felt fuzzy. He was _furious_.

"Tsuna-," Yamamoto started.

Tsuna threw the picture frame so hard that it splintered apart against the kitchen cabinets and glass rained down.

"Get out." Hibari said. "_Now_." Yamamoto grabbed Gokudera's arm and hauled him out the door without question. He shot Tsuna a look, but Tsuna didn't even see it. He grabbed his head, feeling like he was about to start hyperventilating. "Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna's hand lit up in flames and he started grabbing pictures of Iemitsu off of the ledge and _throwing_ them. As he grabbed them, they turned into fireballs, exploding violently against the cabinets. Flames rained down but Tsuna just grabbed another.

Hands grabbed his shoulder and Tsuna pushed Hibari away, hard. Hibari slid back into the kitchen.

"Don't touch me!" Tsuna snapped, throwing another one that landed close to Hibari.

"_Stop_."

"_I don't want to!"_ Tsuna screamed back, the flames encircling his hands flaring up. He took a step forward. "I'm so _fucking angry!_" The phone rang next to him; Tsuna grabbed it off the receiver and threw the flaming hunk of plastic at Hibari's head.

Hibari sprang forward, getting in his personal space despite the heat. They grappled for a moment, Tsuna struggling to break Hibari's grip. The only way he could without being able to get some momentum was to light Hibari on fire, and he wasn't that angry yet. Hibari threw him onto the ground, pinning his arms down.

Tsuna screamed in his face.

Hibari jerked back at the sudden increase in flame, but his face changed suddenly.

He stuck his hands into the flames, grasping Tsuna's own and holding his hands down. Tsuna struggled under him, but it was half-hearted at best. Hibari held him down for a while, while Tsuna struggled and cursed, eventually wearing himself out. The flames in his hands died down, but Hibari kept him pinned.

"Are you done yet?" He asked, when the flames had died out.

"Get off me!" Hibari did not oblige and kept Tsuna pinned, until Tsuna closed his eyes and banged his head against the ground a couple of times.

"Stop that." Hibari said. He released Tsuna's hands, but was still straddling him so that Tsuna couldn't get up. Tsuna banged his head against the floor again. "I said _stop_."

"Then let me _up_." Hibari climbed off Tsuna. Tsuna didn't even bother to get up, just laying there on the kitchen floor. He immediately covered his face with his hands, breathing heavily. He couldn't even look at Hibari right then.

"Tsunayoshi-," Tsuna burst into tears. He was trying not to cry, but it came out anyways.

It was all so...depressing. How _little_ regard had been given for his and Nana's lives. And Tsuna hadn't said anything, but he had been mentally close to letting Iemitsu off the hook. He had almost decided that Iemitsu wasn't the sole source of the problem.

And then reality had slapped him in the face.

Tsuna was so angry, and then so quickly, so _sad_.

How was he even supposed to react to this?  
He almost stopped crying entirely when he felt Hibari shift next to him and a hand gently touch his leg. He pulled his hands away from his face, tears streaming down his cheeks. He turned his head to see Hibari on the ground next to him, expression unreadable. Tsuna laid his hands next to his side.

"Kyoya-," Hibari took his hand. Tsuna groaned. "This is humiliating." He said through sniffles. Hibari rolled his eyes back at him.

And _then_.

He squeezed Tsuna's hand.

Tsuna couldn't help it, the tears started again and he shut his eyes. He rolled onto his side, curling his legs up, and pressed his face into Hibari's shoulder. Hibari didn't say anything.

They stayed like that. Tsuna wasn't sobbing, but there were unmistakable, silent tears running down his face and seeping into Hibari's shirt. Hibari just held his hand and stayed still.

"Thanks for not letting me destroy my house." Tsuna finally muttered. "I'm sorry for melting down on you again."

"The flame wasn't hot." Hibari murmured back.

"What?"

"The flame wasn't hot. You weren't really going to hurt me." Hibari said tonelessly.

"Oh."

"Don't do that again." Hibari reprimanded him. "If some stupid herbivore attempts to grab you, you're supposed to burn them to a crisp, you _idiot_. You don't handicap yourself for anyone, not even me." Tsuna laughed into the skylark's shoulder, which was wet with his tears. Hibari had always been a _shoot first, ask questions later_ sort of person.

"Why do you stick with me, Kyoya? And let me cry into your shoulder like a _baby_." Tsuna muttered to himself.

"You're one of the only idiots in this town worth being around." Hibari said. "I suppose you're _my_ idiot now."

"That's not very nice, Kyoya." Tsuna murmured. He ignored the warm feeling in his chest at Hibari's words. They were comforting.

"If you would get your head out of your ass, you wouldn't be an _idiot_." Hibari sniffed. "If these Vongola people had any sense, you _would_ be Decimo and all this nonsense would not have happened."

"I don't know about that." Tsuna said. Having a heart to heart on the kitchen floor with Hibari was not how he thought his day would go. "I'm sure Ietsuna will be a good boss. I guess."

"If he doesn't get killed before he even starts." Hibari spat. "Is your brother like you?"

"I mean, no. I guess. He was pretty normal. He'll be a good boss."

"An herbivore."

"I mean, sure." Ietsuna had been a normal kid. Decent grades, decent popularity. But a great big brother, Tsuna remembered.

"You would be better." Hibari said.

"But I _wasn't_ chosen so it doesn't matter." Tsuna said. "Don't be so nice to me; it'll go to my head."

"If you think _I'm _nice, you need to raise your standards." Tsuna snickered. There was a pause, and then Hibari squeezed his hand again. "Everything will be fine, Tsunayoshi."

"It's time to get up, isn't it?" Tsuna groaned. Hibari didn't answer. Tsuna sat up, wiping the tears off his face. Hibari released his hand, but remained on the ground, looking up at him curiously. "What?"

"You know your stupid herbivore father isn't worth any of this, correct?" Hibari demanded. Tsuna sighed.

"I know. And I know I'm not...but I just feel so _alone_ in this. And I know I have you and Takeshi, and Ryohei-nii, and Kyoko and Hana...even Gokudera, now. But I feel _alone_." Tsuna shook his head. "No, I feel abandoned. I feel like he abandoned us. Now, more than ever."

"Make him regret doing so." Hibari suggested. Tsuna laughed out loud.

"Are you suggesting I beat up my father?"

"No, I'm suggesting you burn him to a crisp."

"As much as I _want_ to right now," Tsuna yawned. "Mom would be pretty upset about that, so I won't be doing that."  
"Why do you still worry about what herbivores want?" Hibari sat up. Tsuna rubbed his head.

"I'm gonna take a shower. You can get something to eat. If Takeshi left anything behind." Tsuna added. He climbed to his feet, Hibari following. Tsuna groaned as he saw all the broken glass. "Don't worry about this." He waved his hand at the mess. "I'll get it after I shower." Tsuna watched Hibari's eye twitch. "I _promise_. I just smell..._horrible_."

A lesser known fact about the DC chairman; Hibari was a neat freak. Tsuna wasn't a _total_ mess, but compared to Hibari's neurotic cleanliness, Tsuna might as well have been. Tsuna pointed a finger at the chairman.

"You better _not_ clean up. This is my fault."

"Fine." Hibari said. Tsuna switched on the kettle and pulled out some tea from the cabinet.

"This is the green tea that you like. Drink it, or don't. The kettle will just switch off when the water's boiled." Tsuna rolled his shoulders. "I'm going to get cleaned up."

XXXX

So Tsuna kind of knows what's going on. I think I am going to visit Ietsuna in Italy briefly. Him and Reborn will end up back in Namimori, but not for the reasons you think.


	8. Chapter 8

so the updates are going to slow down quite a bit, I think. I had a lot of time over the holidays, but with things picking up again, I won't be able to write as much, especially these next two and a half weeks in particular for me. However, I do have some chapters already written so hopefully there will still be around a chapter a week uploaded.

XXXX

The hot water felt so _good_.

For a brief moment, Tsuna thought about crying in the shower some more. He could, if he let himself. But he decided not to. He was _done_, crying about his father. If he cried over all the people who had wronged him or treated him poorly in his life, he would be crying constantly.

When Tsuna came back downstairs, his normally fluffy hair somewhat dampened by the water, Hibari was gone. But the broken glass had been swept into a small pile and the picture frames were stacked neatly on top of each other on the counter. Tsuna snorted.

There was an empty cup in the sink with a small amount of green tea in the bottom. Hibari had even put away the rest of the tea. If Tsuna opened his cabinets to find everything in them adjusted and organized to Hibari's liking, he wouldn't be that surprised. On _many_ occasions, Hibari reached out in the middle of a conversation and fixed Tsuna's tie. Tsuna had mentioned it to his friends once, and Kyoko had said it was kind of cute until she actually saw Hibari _do _it.

Hibari would reach out, grab the tie and abruptly tighten the knot, not caring about whether or not Tsuna choked when he did it. Then he would yank it down _brutally_, flattening it underneath Tsuna's vest without pausing the conversation whatsoever.

"I'm sorry, Tsu-kun." Kyoko had confessed. "For teasing you."

"That's not cute _at all_." Hana was appalled. "It's almost _violent_."

Needless to say, it was just another one of Hibari's many neuroses. But Hibari had laid on the floor with him and held his hand anyways.

Tsuna flushed thinking about it, as he grabbed the dust pan to throw out the glass. He left the pictures where they were, though. He did not want to look at them.

XXXX

A few days later, at school, Ryohei confronted Tsuna.

Him, Yamamoto and Gokudera had been walking to class, idly chattering when the boxer ran up to Tsuna.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Gokudera muttered.

"SAWADA!" Came the yell. He grabbed Tsuna by the shoulders. Tsuna was still sore from what had happened, his muscles screaming at him. He winced, and Ryohei paused. "Kyoko said you were sick, but you're hurt!" Ryohei exclaimed. "That's extremely not cool! Who did this to you?" Gokudera stilled next to Tsuna, but Tsuna wasn't about to throw him under the bus.

"Uh, it's nothing, Ryohei-nii. I'm just sore." Tsuna insisted.

"Training with Hibari?" Ryohei demanded.

"Something like that." Yamamoto filled in cheerfully.

"Let me work with you, SAWADA!" Ryohei's face had lit up. "We'll get you all stretched out! And then you should join my _boxing club!_"

"Uh, Ryohei-nii, I'm not sure-," Ryohei had already grabbed Tsuna and was steering him down the hallway.

"Nonsense!"

"Wait, you mean _right now?_ I have class!" Tsuna shrieked.

"Official boxing club business!" Tsuna shot a desperate look back to Yamamoto, who had Gokudera locked down with one arm. Gokudera seemed confused by the situation, but ready to spring forward and free Tsuna from Ryohei's clutches if the situation called for it. Yamamoto waved back cheerfully.

"Don't worry, Gokudera. Ryohei will take care of Tsuna! Have fun, you two!" Yamamoto called out.

Ryohei dragged Tsuna off to the gym.

There, he forced Tsuna into some painful stretches, which, admittedly made Tsuna feel better after. But he still squawked and squeaked as Ryohei pushed him into odd shapes. Tsuna was blown away by the fact that Ryohei could do them himself.

"You should take up yoga, Sawada!" Ryohei insisted, as he pushed Tsuna to contort into an odd shape. "It's extremely helpful to tune the mind, body, and soul!" He punched into the air. "Meditation is key!"

"Do you meditate?" Tsuna asked through gritted teeth.

"Before every match!" Tsuna could swear he saw a faint yellow glow. "We're going to stretch you out, do some exercises, meditate, and then box!" The boxer insisted. "You'll feel a lot better after."

Tsuna wasn't really sure if he _wanted_ to, but he also wanted to observe those yellow flames again.

They continued, and by the time they were boxing, Tsuna really put his all into it. He had some thoughts on Ryohei's disposition and wanted to talk about it with Hibari. But he needed to confirm what he thought he had seen the first time around before he did anything like that.

Plus, Ryohei really, genuinely wanted to help him, and Tsuna couldn't say no to that.

And _there_, in the middle of the match, Ryohei lit up with a hazy yellow glow. It was faint; if Tsuna hadn't known exactly what he was looking for, he doubt he would have seen it against the fluorescent lights.

By the end of the hour, Tsuna was panting and sweaty, sitting on the edge of the ring. Ryohei pushed him onto his stomach and plopped a bag of ice on Tsuna's back. Which was cold enough to make Tsuna yelp.

"You have to ice it." Ryohei insisted. "Your back will feel better. Say, Tsuna, have you tried taking ice baths?" The thought of that was appalling.

But he had seen what he needed to, and he would admit, his body felt a lot better. He set his chin on his crossed arms in front of him while Ryohei gave him tips about boxing.

And then something Gokudera had said came back to him.

_A power only used by Vongola_

What?

XXXX

They were eating lunch on the school roof, Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera. Hibari was off, doing something probably important. Tsuna had begun to realize that this was Hibari's last year at Nami Middle; and that all of a sudden, Tsuna wouldn't be seeing him as much. The middle school and the high school weren't far apart. In fact, the buildings looked almost exactly the same, just a little bigger. Frankly, Tsuna was sure that by the time he got to Nami High, it would feel like he had never left Nami Middle. And he was sure that by the time he got there, Hibari would be ruling Nami High with an iron fist.

Still, Tsuna wanted to talk to Hibari about Ryohei, so he shot him a text, asking him to come by if he had time.

"So, Gokudera, what's the deal with all this mafia business?" Yamamoto asked casually. They were sitting against the fence, his arm slung around Tsuna's shoulders casually. Gokudera seemed to have picked up a habit of going red whenever Yamamoto got touchy with Tsuna, which was often. Tsuna didn't really care; it was a part of his and Yamamoto's friendship. The silver-haired student was _wildly_ uncomfortable though.

Now though, his face was red with rage.

"What the hell kind of question is that, baseball freak?" Gokudera snapped. "It's the mafia! That's the deal with all this mafia business." Tsuna suppressed a laugh as Yamamoto teased Gokudera about being touchy.

Tsuna liked Gokudera; he had a rough exterior, but Tsuna had found that there was a sweet, quirky boy inside. He was a certified genius too, not that it seemed like anyone had ever told Gokudera that.

"Actually," He interrupted the bickering. "I had a few questions about the mafia." The silver-haired boy snapped to attention.

"Of course!"

"You talked about those...flames. And said it was a power you've only seen used by Vongola. What do you mean by that?" Tsuna asked. Gokudera blinked back.

"It's what Nono uses. All the Vongola bosses have been able to wield them. I suppose I've seen it in the Guardians too." He rubbed his chin.

"Honestly, Hayato-kun," Tsuna said. "I know this is kind of annoying but could you just like...tell us _everything_? Just literally everything you know about Vongola and the bosses and what Guardians are." Gokudera nodded, before launching into a detailed explanation. He spoke in depth about the bosses, the unique skill the Vongola possessed, to wield flames. He detailed the inner circle of Vongola, and the Guardians and their role to protect the boss.

"It's kind of the format for most bosses nowadays, to have either Guardians or Elements protecting them." Gokudera explained.

"So there are different kinds of flames?" Yamamoto asked. "I haven't seen any." Gokudera scrunched his nose up in rage.

"That's because _you_ aren't in the _mafia._" Gokudera snapped. He turned to Tsuna, his disposition lightening immediately. "I've seen other types of flames, but only really talented individuals can use them without finding a way to channel or awaken them, like with a special kind of bullet." His eyes were shining. "But the Vongola...are uniquely talented. Like you, Tsuna. You used yours without any kind of help."

"So that's what makes the Vongola special?" Tsuna asked. "That they can use these flames without any kind of help?" Gokudera nodded enthusiastically.

"So you're special, then." Yamamoto stated. He ruffled Tsuna's hair. "But I mean, we already knew that, huh?"

"But..." Tsuna felt a little stupid saying this. "I'm not even Italian!"

"The first boss retired to Japan." Gokudera said. "You're probably a relative of his. There hasn't been a direct descendant of Primo in Vongola for a long time." Gokudera admitted. "He kind of wanted to be left alone."

"But since all the other successors were killed," Tsuna's mouth felt dry at the thought. "They had to find another descendant." Gokudera nodded. Tsuna groaned. "Primo had the right idea."

"You're gifted, Tsuna." Yamamoto said. "That's not necessarily a bad thing."

"We would have been in trouble if you weren't. I'd be dead." Gokudera said.

The door to the roof swung open, banging against the metal and Hibari stalked in. There was a spray of blood on his face. He didn't appear to be injured.

"Hey, everything all right, Hibari?" Yamamoto asked, his voice giving away no unease. Hibari just glared.

"Um, did you get my text?" Tsuna asked. Hibari blinked, and then fished his phone out of his pocket. The screen had been newly cracked and spattered with blood.

"No." Hibari responded. "I am here because I have information from the hitmen." Gokudera leaned forward, brow furrowing.

"Those bastards?" he spat. "What did you find out?"

"That these stupid herbivores don't know what they're looking for. They were all separately contracted." Hibari said. "Two of them were trying to find and kill the family of Sawada Iemitsu. The other thought that you _were_ Sawada Ietsuna. None of them knew fully who you were."

"This is...confusing." Tsuna muttered. "I hate my life."

"I will be contacting the yakuza." Hibari said. _Read; beating them until I get my answer._ "They may have a clearer line of information on potential hits on you for the apparent _multitude_ of reasons."

"I thought you liked strong opponents, Kyoya." Tsuna teased him. Hibari glared.

"These opponents aren't strong. They are dithering idiots with guns. Who have been causing destruction to Namimori property." He snapped. "Why did you text me?" Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck.

"I wanted to talk to you about Ryohei-nii and my...flames." Tsuna admitted.

"The two are somehow connected?" Hibari arched an eyebrow. Yamamoto and Gokudera were looking curiously at Tsuna too.

"Hayato just explained to us that different types of flames exist as well...and I think Ryohei-nii has them."

"That white-haired freak who dragged you off earlier?" Gokudera demanded. Hibari's eyes narrowed. "_Him_?"

"Tsunayoshi." Tsuna sped up his explanation.

"I noticed a while ago, when we were...boxing, I guess. He was almost..._glowing_. I thought I was imagining it, but I saw it again. I think he has his own flames." Hibari stared back.

"What's one more herbivore, at this point." He said dryly. Tsuna gave him an uneasy smile.

"I thought you guys should know; I don't know if that changes anything."

"I'll keep an eye on him." Hibari huffed. "Is that all?" He demanded. Tsuna grabbed a napkin and shrugged out from under Yamamoto's arm. He walked up to Hibari and leaned up so he could wipe the blood off his face. "What are you doing?"

"Hold still; you have blood on your face." Some of it came off, but a tiny bit smeared on Hibari's cheek. Without thinking, Tsuna licked his thumb.

"Do not-,"

Tsuna wiped Hibari's cheek with it. Hibari glared at him. Only Tsuna could see the faint blush on his face. Tsuna smiled.

"Don't be a baby about it." Tsuna said. "You don't want it to stain your skin." Hibari wrinkled his nose. "Also please tell me this is from those hitmen."

"They spat at me, so I reacted." Hibari informed him. He pursed his lips. "Are you done yet?"

"Just wait a second. Ah, you have it in your hair _too_." Hibari smacked his hand away.

"I am perfectly capable of cleaning myself." He barked out. Tsuna held out the napkin and Hibari snatched it from his hand, before turning on his heel and exiting dramatically.

"See you later!" Tsuna called out after him.

XXXX

Tsuna's dreams had been filled with flaming figures, recently.

And he meant that in a lot of ways.

From people on fire, screaming in agony, begging for their lives, to silent figures with hands engulfed in flames. Tsuna's first interpretation was that those figures were supposed to be him.

Then, their faces became clearer and they were people Tsuna didn't recognize. He didn't see a lot, just saw snapshots of glaring faces, of weapons. So, then Tsuna didn't think they were supposed to be him.

The only possible explanation he could come up with for who these people were, these impeccably dressed figures with flaming hands and weapons and eyes like fire, were the dons of Vongola.

But that was ridiculous and impossible.

Tsuna assumed he must have just been making it up in his head; after all Gokudera had painted a vivid picture of what these former bosses were known to be like. Tsuna had probably just warped the interpretation into an odd, terrifying dream.

All his dreams were like this these days and he woke up _hot_, his room completely dry.

Tsuna figured it was the stress getting to him, so he didn't share his dreams with anyone at that point. If they got worse, maybe he would.

XXXX

Classes were almost...fun.

Before recently, Tsuna had never _enjoyed_ school. He felt like he spent almost all his time at home and was only in school the absolute minimum time required before he booked it home and locked himself in his room.

It was no surprise; he didn't have any friends, was in no activities, and was bullied extensively.

But these days?

Tsuna liked school. He liked seeing his friends. He was almost _never_ home, and when he was home, it seemed like there was always someone with him. He had been lonely for a long time, he realized. Something that started after his brother left. But now, he almost never was.

"Hey Tsuna, we should go to TakeSushi later." Yamamoto whispered to him in class. "We can get some octopus for Gokudera." Gokudera shot a glare at Yamamoto.

"I should push your chair over." Gokudera hissed back.

"Have you had sushi since you've been in Japan?" Tsuna whispered. Gokudera blinked, and then immediately looked sheepish.

"Um, no."

"Gokudera-kun!" Kyoko exclaimed. They shushed her immediately. She smiled bashfully. "Sorry! It's just that you _have_ to. And Yamamoto's dad makes the best in town."

"Coming to Japan and not having sushi." Hana scoffed. "_Unbelievable._"

"I've had other Japanese food!" Gokudera defended himself. "I just haven't been for sushi specifically yet! I got some prepackaged sushi from the store once." Yamamoto wrinkled his nose. Yamamoto wasn't generally a snob, but he was a snob about _food_. Growing up around a restaurant meant that the idea of prepackaged food or frozen food horrified him. Tsuna had to agree, to some extent. He'd always had Nana's excellent cooking and wasn't too bad in the kitchen himself.

"That's disgusting." Yamamoto said. "We need to rectify this immediately."

"We're going to TakeSushi later." Tsuna decided. "You _have_ to have sushi."

"I don't eat out much..." Gokudera muttered. Yamamoto grabbed Gokudera's shoulder, which set the silver-haired boy off like a hissing cat. Yamamoto ignored it, and looked at Gokudera solemnly.

"On the house. This is a serious situation."

"I'm not gonna die if I don't eat real sushi!" Gokudera hissed back. Hana shrugged.

"You might."

"Because I'm gonna kill you." Yamamoto added cheerfully. Gokudera smacked Yamamoto's hand.

"Can we come?" Kyoko asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Yamamoto responded. "The more the merrier. We'll eat my dad out of house and home."

"I don't know if we can eat more than you already do on your own." Tsuna added, grinning. Yamamoto patted his stomach.

"I like food. What can I say?"

"It's _inhuman_." Gokudera was appalled. "You ate _four_ sandwiches yesterday, one right after the other. It was the worst thing I've ever seen." Hana nodded.

"Your jaw _does_ unhinge like a snake."

"Oh, I wish it _could_." Tsuna cringed.

"Am I interrupting something?" They all rotated around at the same time to see their teacher standing in front of them, hands on her hips. She pushed her glasses further up her nose. "Is my teaching getting in the way of your conversation?"

"Sorry, sensei." Tsuna immediately said. She huffed.

"What could _possibly_ be so important right now?" Yamamoto opened his mouth and Gokudera kicked him under the desk.

"Ow!"

"Yamamoto-kun, are you injured?" Their instructor asked.

"Nope, he's fine!" Tsuna answered for him. "Sorry, sensei. Please continue."

When they left class, Gokudera squinted down the hall.

"Is that turf top on his way over?" He said.

"We accidentally switched lunches this morning." Kyoko explained. "He's coming to trade with me."

"Don't let him talk you into joining his boxing club." Hana warned.

"SAWADA!" Ryohei exclaimed, full volume, when he saw Tsuna. Tsuna winced at the volume, but smiled back. At least Ryohei was always happy to see him. "And this is that Italian student, right?" He squinted at Gokudera. Gokudera glared back, crossing his arms. "Octopus-head." Ryohei declared. Gokudera balked at him, and then whirled around to point a finger at Yamamoto.

"You told him to call me that!" Yamamoto held his hands up defensively.

"I didn't! I swear!" Yamamoto crossed his heart. "He just came to the completely reasonable conclusion that your head looks like an octopus on his own." A huge, bandaged hand clapped Gokudera on the shoulder so hard he almost knocked him over.

"I heard you weren't very nice to my little brother here at first! That's extremely not cool, octopus-head." Ryohei declared.

"Um, it's okay, Ryohei-nii." Tsuna tried to negotiate. "He's my friend." Ryohei shook his head.

"But I still won't know what kind of _man_ he is until I see him in the ring!" Tsuna sweatdropped.

"That sounds like fun!" Yamamoto said. "Say, Ryohei. Gokudera actually said something about joining your boxing club earlier." Gokudera was going to _kill_ him.

"Takeshi!" Tsuna hissed.

"I'll have to test him in the ring!" Ryohei exclaimed. Gokudera's face went bright red and he started to bicker with Ryohei, with Yamamoto occasionally stirring the pot. Kyoko attempted to pacify her intense older brother, but there was no _way_ that was happening.

While they talked, Tsuna noticed something down the hall.

There was a red-haired boy in Tsuna's class that never seemed to speak, always sitting at the back of the room. Tsuna had noticed him before, but had never spoken to him before. Irie Shoichi, he believed his name was. Honestly, he reminded Tsuna a lot of himself.

Especially right then.

He was surrounded by a group of taller, older boys. All of whom were smiling, but Shoichi was not. He looked _terrified_, and Tsuna watched as one of the boys reached out and shoved the red-haired boy into another. Shoichi clutched his backpack to his chest.

"Hey!" Tsuna shouted, with a volume that rivaled Ryohei's. Both groups froze, the three boys harassing Shoichi and Tsuna's own friends. Tsuna stepped forward. "Leave him alone!" One of the boys grabbed Shoichi's shoulder and smiled like a snake.

"Sho-kun here is our _friend_." He insisted. "We're just joking around, right, Sho-kun?"

"R-right." Shoichi muttered, staring at the ground.

"Knock it off." Tsuna said. "This isn't funny." He stepped forward again, and the taller boy narrowed his eyes.

"So you're gonna give me _orders_ now. Bold move, from Hibari's little pet."

"That's extremely not cool!" Ryohei said. "Don't insult my little brother!"

"I'll do whatever I please." The boy snapped. He shoved Shoichi into the row of lockers. Shoichi whimpered and slid to the floor. "What're you gonna do about it?" He moved forward, fists balled, as if to hit Tsuna.

Ryohei punched him in the face so hard he knocked him flat on his back, unconscious.

"What the _fuck_." Tsuna heard Gokudera say behind him.

"Nii-san..." Kyoko sounded exasperated.

"You were extremely not cool!" The boxer proclaimed, standing over the unconscious body of his 'opponent'. The two other boys took a quick look at each other and darted off. Yamamoto walked up to the unconscious boy in front of him, nudging him with his foot, before he bent down to poke the body in the head.

"He's out cold." He informed the group. He rubbed his jaw. "Hey, Ryohei. You wanna teach me to do that?"

"Any time!"

Tsuna approached Shoichi, bending down to offer the scared boy a hand.

"Are you okay, Irie-kun?" He asked, concerned. Shoichi took it, hesitantly. Tsuna helped him up.

"You know my name." He sounded dumbfounded. Almost in..._awe_ of Tsuna.

"Of course, Irie-kun." Tsuna was confused. Maybe Shoichi was just overwhelmed. "I'm sorry about all...this." He was referring not only to the group of bullies, but his crazy friends. "Ryohei-nii sometimes acts before he thinks." Sometimes was generous.

"It's...okay." Shoichi said slowly.

"I'm Sawada Tsuna. You can call me Tsuna!" Tsuna offered. He held out a hand and Shoichi stared at him for a moment, before scrambling to shake it. He dropped his backpack in the process, his face flushing.

"Um, I know who you are." He said. Tsuna bent down to pick up Shoichi's backpack. "Oh wait, no I've got-," Tsuna offered it to him. The red-haired boy accepted it, his cheeks flushed pink. "Thank you, Tsuna-san."

"Hey, Ryohei. Weren't you gonna show Gokudera how to box?" Tsuna heard Yamamoto behind him.

"That's right, Yamamoto! Thank you for reminding me!" He grabbed Gokudera.

"Hey, wait!" Gokudera was being dragged down the hallway. "I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR THIS!" Yamamoto waved.

"Have fun, octopus-head!"

"So, Irie-kun, would you like to join us for lunch?" Tsuna asked. Shoichi was bright red and stammering.

"That sounds v-very nice, Tsuna-san. I unfortunately have to go to a club meeting right now though." Shoichi rubbed the back of his neck, eyes flicking downwards. "Um, Tsuna-san, you are very kind."

"I was just doing what anyone else would do." Tsuna said. Shoichi coughed, and shook his head.

"I mean, you're very nice Tsuna-san. And...c-cute. I was wondering if you would like to hang out sometime?" Tsuna got the feeling he was missing something.

"For lunch?" Tsuna said. "Of course! I'd love to."

"Or just...any time." Shoichi suggested, shaky. But he met Tsuna's eyes this time, smiling softly. "I've really...admired you for a while, Tsuna-san. You seem like a really great person."

Yamamoto coughed behind him. Tsuna turned to see Hibari stalking down the hallway, eyes narrowed.

He clearly saw the unconscious form in the middle of the hallway.

"Of _course_." Hibari snapped. "It has to be you and this pack of crowding herbivores."

"This guy was bullying Irie here and Ryohei punched him out when he made a move towards Tsuna." Hana offered. Hibari kicked the leg of the unconscious boy, as if to confirm. He pivoted to stare at Tsuna and Shoichi, who was getting more nervous in the presence of the chairman.

"Um, I think I have to go right now." Shoichi said. "But I was wondering Tsuna-san...if I could get your number. So I can call you some time. Or text! Whatever works for you." He looked almost bashful, though Tsuna couldn't understand why. Tsuna smiled at him.

"Of course, Irie-kun!" Tsuna fished a pen out of his bag and leaned forward. He scribbled it on Shoichi's notebook, that Shoichi held out for him. "We'll hang out sometime, for sure!" Shoichi nodded, flushed, and started to turn to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going, herbivore?" Hibari barked. Shoichi's eyes widened in terror.

"Um, I was just going to go to a club meeting?" He squeaked.

"You got in an altercation with this herbivore-," Hibari kicked the boy's leg to punctuate his statement. "-, and expect to go unpunished? I'll bite you to death."

"Kyoya." Tsuna said. "He didn't do anything wrong. This guy and two others were harassing him. I stepped in." Tsuna said. "If anyone deserves to be punished, it's me." Hibari levelled a glare at Tsuna. He seemed angrier than the situation called for.

"Get out of here, herbivore." Hibari snapped. Shoichi squeaked and rushed off, offering a quick smile to Tsuna.

Once Shoichi had cleared out, Yamamoto elbowed Tsuna in the side.

"Nice job, Tsuna. I think you just got yourself a date." Tsuna blinked, and then reacted.

"_What_?" Kyoko giggled.

"He said you were cute, Tsuna." She pointed out. Tsuna didn't recall hearing that.

"He was just being nice!" Tsuna insisted. "I don't know what you guys are talking about." His face was red though. Had he really missed something that _big_?

"Are you herbivores _done_?" Hibari interrupted icily. "You can gossip somewhere else, or I _will_ bite you to death."

"Sorry, Hibari-san!" Kyoko squeaked. She grabbed Hana by the arm and they booked it out of there. Yamamoto stayed though, leaning against the lockers, arms folded over his chest and grinning. Hibari rounded onto Tsuna.

"And _you_." He snapped. "You are going to get involved with these herbivores? For that red-haired idiot that can't defend himself?"

"Hey, it wasn't his fault." Tsuna defended Shoichi. "They were all bigger and older. I had to say something."

"He's not even an herbivore; he's what other herbivores _eat_. He might as well be plant matter." Hibari ground out angrily.

"What is your _problem_, Kyoya?" Tsuna asked. "Why are you so worked up about this?"

"I am _not_."

"You _are_, and this has to be the _least_ troublesome thing that has happened today to you." Tsuna didn't get what about this situation was making Hibari so angry.

"You got involved with them." Hibari insisted.

"I didn't even hit anyone! That was Ryohei-nii!" Hibari gritted his teeth, and turned to walk away. "What the _hell_, Kyoya!" Hibari started walking away, and Tsuna followed him. "Takeshi, I'll see you at lunch." He shot back quickly, as Yamamoto waved at him.

Tsuna practically had to _jog_ to keep up with the angry skylark.

"Kyoya!" Tsuna demanded. "Look at me!"

"I have work to do." Hibari said.

"What is your _problem_ with Irie?" Tsuna wanted to know. They were heading towards Hibari's office. Hibari stared straight ahead.

"Do you even _know_ this herbivore?"

"No, but why does that matter?"

"And you want to go out on a _date_ with him?" There was disbelief in Hibari's voice. Tsuna balked.

"Is _that_ what you're so angry about?"

"He is an herbivore you _don't_ know. I tolerate the ones you surround yourself with already. I can't be expected to tolerate plant matter as well." Hibari spat out.

"He's a nice guy!" Tsuna said. "He was just being nice." He was struggling to keep up with Hibari's brutal pace.

"You didn't answer me."

"I don't know! But you don't get to dictate my _life_, Kyoya." Hibari paused at the door to DC reception to glare at Tsuna, before shoving it open. He didn't hold it for Tsuna, but Tsuna caught it and chased him inside. There were a few DC members milling about, namely Kusakabe. And they looked _shocked_ at what was happening. Hibari snapped his fingers at them and snarled and they scrambled away.

"That's not what this is about." Hibari responded as he went into his office.

"It _totally_ is!" Tsuna insisted. "I'm your friend, Kyoya, like Tetsuya is, but you don't-,"

"My relationship with you and my relationship with Tetsuya are _nothing_ alike." Hibari interrupted, sitting down in his chair abruptly.

"Quit interrupting me." Tsuna said. Hibari arched an eyebrow, but flicked his eyes away dismissively.

"Why are you defending this herbivore?" Hibari demanded. "You don't know him."

"Why are you _attacking_ him? What does it matter, him asking me out, if that's even what was _happening_?" Tsuna leaned forward. He was standing in front of Hibari's desk, arms crossed. The skylark in question paused for a second.

"He's not _good_ enough for you." He said, finally. Tsuna stared at him incredulously, before putting both his palms on the desk, leaning forward more so that his face was closer to Hibari's.

"And to you, _who is_? _You_?" Tsuna snapped.

It was faint, but pink rushed into Hibari's cheeks, under the faint freckles.

Tsuna realized he should not have said that.

"Oh."

Tsuna almost fell down in shock.

It's not like he hadn't given it a thought, after his friends teased him about it. And it's not like he didn't have a warm, fuzzy feeling when Hibari put his head in his lap. When Hibari held his hand as he cried on the floor. That moment had solidified a deeply intimate place in Tsuna's heart for Hibari. But he didn't really think Hibari would ever feel that way about _anyone_.

In retrospect, maybe it was kind of obvious.

Hibar's next words were slow, like it pained him to say them.

"I realize I am leaving this year and that our relationship may change as a result of that...and that I am not what you are looking for. I intended to say nothing." He stated. "I would prefer to end this conversation there."

_Hibari was nervous_, Tsuna realized. Nervous about leaving behind the place he had really made his bones. Even in elementary school, Hibari had been terrifying. But it was Nami Middle where he had gotten the DC up and running and ruled the school with an iron fist.

And he was afraid that when he was gone, Tsuna was going to leave him behind for someone else.

Not that Tsuna would ever leave Hibari behind.

"Sorry, but we're talking about this." Tsuna grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it up. Hibari groaned, briefly closing his eyes. "Do you mean _romantically_?" Tsuna asked incredulously. Hibari blinked back at him.

"You talk about your _feelings_ all day long." He said scornfully. "Is it so impossible to believe that they exist within me too?"

"I'm not-," Tsuna stopped. "I just didn't know you felt this way. About me."

"You're the one who is always _touching_ me." Hibari responded bitingly. "Rubbing my face, putting your head on my shoulder." Tsuna winced.

"That's just the way I am!" Tsuna defended himself. He sighed, and reached out across the desk. Hibari pulled his hand away. "_Kyoya_. I'm not going to leave you behind. I would _never _leave you behind. Especially not just because you're going to another school." Hibari took in his words quietly, before nodding to himself. Tsuna would kill to see Hibari's thought process.

"That is enough for me. I will not bring this up again, I assure you." His eyes flicked away. "I simply ask that you refrain from touching me like you have."

"You didn't ask me if I felt the same way." Tsuna said. Hibari would not look at him.

"Tsunayoshi." There was a warning in his voice.

"Ask me." Tsuna held his ground. Hibari gritted his teeth and shook his head wordlessly. Tsuna stood up and walked around the desk, closer to Hibari. He hopped up onto his desk, sitting just next to Hibari. "I mean it. Ask me."

"_Do you feel the same way_?" Hibari forced out through a clenched jaw. Tsuna held out his hand.

"Take my hand." He said. Hibari flicked his eyes up hesitantly, but complied. His hand was warm, and much bigger than Tsuna's. He ran his thumb over the back of it, before squeezing it. Tsunan smiled wide. "Maybe." Hibari stilled, but did not remove his hand. He eventually looked fully to Tsuna.

"I am not and will never _be_ like the rest of them. I will not perform in public for you or coddle you. I did not think you wanted something like that." Hibari finally said.

"You think just because I'm all soft and fluffy that I want someone to pander to me?" Tsuna asked. "I _like_ being independent and free. And you should know; you're a big reason why I am that way." Hibari let out a breath. Tsuna watched an anxious energy he hadn't realized was there seep out of Hibari, his shoulders lowering. "Besides, what I ultimately _want_ is someone who is my equal." When he spoke, Hibari's voice almost cracked. It didn't, but it _almost_ did.

"I want that too." Tsuna leaned forward, closing his eyes, and let his forehead rest against Hibari's.

"Then it's settled." Tsuna laughed lightly. "Why didn't you just _talk_ to me about this?"

"I am not known for my ability to emote." Hibari responded dryly. "And I feel like it goes without saying, but just in case; you will _not_ go on a date with this red-headed idiot." Tsuna snorted, squeezing Hibari's hand in response.

XXXX

It was really Kusakabe who had let it slip.

Tsuna had been chatting with the Vice Chairman absent-mindedly when Kusakabe mentioned something about "that meeting". He immediately clammed up, which of course, tipped Tsuna off. It took a while, but eventually he told the younger boy about the meeting with the yakuza that Hibari had not informed him of.

Tsuna didn't like that at _all_.

He knew, objectively, that Hibari had this kind of meeting all the time and he was always okay. That there were plenty of violent incidents he was only vaguely aware of. But this time, Hibari was meeting with the yakuza on _his_ behalf and Tsuna couldn't help but feel responsible for whatever was about to happen. After all, given how many people had tried to kill Tsuna, he was certain that this would go sideways.

He didn't even really _want_ Hibari to meet in this capacity. But the skylark wasn't afraid of anything and Tsuna didn't see how they were going to move forward without learning more. Things were okay; they could deal with the assassins as they came. But if evidenced by the building sense of dread in the dreams that haunted Tsuna at night, they were living in a bubble. Things couldn't stay this way forever. One way or another, things would have to move forward.

It was surprisingly Yamamoto who confronted Hibari about it first, before Tsuna even had a chance to. Yamamoto had plopped down in class, a bruise forming on his cheek. He was smiling.

"What the hell happened to you?" Gokudera asked. Yamamoto shrugged.

"Hibari." Tsuna winced.

"What happened?" He asked timidly. He reached out to gently touch the bruise on Yamamoto's cheek. "We'll get you some ice." He promised.

"Nah, it's fine, Tsuna. I just told him that we were coming to the meeting, one way or another."

"The meeting?" Gokudera asked. Tsuna informed him quietly of what was happening. The silver-haired boy exploded. "_Of course we are!_"

"That's what I said!" He pivoted to Tsuna. "Don't worry. He knows we're coming. I think he's even accepted us, how did he put it?" Yamamoto rubbed his jaw. "Meddling herbivores, were his words, I believe."

"Where is this happening?" Gokudera demanded. "We need to plan strategy." Yamamoto gave him the name, a building with a seedy bar in the basement and business that always seemed to be abandoned on top. It was unsurprising that it was a center of yakuza activity to Tsuna. Gokudera stood up immediately.

"Gokudera-kun! Class is starting!" Their teacher informed them. Gokudera ignored her. She sighed, and threw her hands up in the air.

"I'll be back! Meet me in Hibari's office for lunch!" Gokudera said, bolting from the room.

"Wonder what's gotten into him?" Yamamoto said.

They convened in Hibari's office for lunch, very much against Hibari's will. Tsuna was sure Hibari had been irritated the moment he heard them boisterously making their way through reception. Gokudera had rushed in, arms filled with what looked like blueprints, shouting,

"Out of my way!" As he pushed DC members away. Tsuna had apologized and chatted idly with them. The door to Hibari's office swung open so hard it slammed into the wall.

The skylark was sitting in his chair, glaring.

"And to what do I owe this _visit_?" He hissed. Gokudera marched in, and started laying the blueprints out on the coffee table. He had his hair pulled back, a few pieces falling into his face. Tsuna had only seen him in glasses a few times, but he was wearing them today.

"Sorry, Kyoya." Tsuna apologized. "But this is about the meeting." Hibari groaned.

"I told you, I am perfectly capable of handling this myself. If your pack of herbivores _insists_ on coming along as support, they will be staying with the rest of the committee members." Hibari got up from his chair, stalking over. "What are you _doing_?"

Gokudera had two plans laid out in front of them. He reached out and tapped his fingers against what looked like the same spot in each of them.

"So I found records of the building." He explained. "And this one is from thirty years ago, and this one is from ten years ago, when they did renovations. The blueprints are functionally the same, but they still had to submit updated copies with information about wiring, plumbing, etc." Gokudera waved a hand. "But look here." Yamamoto peered over.

"It's a room." Gokudera wrinkled his nose.

"But _compare_ them."

"The room doesn't exist on the second one." Tsuna said. Gokudera nodded.

"But the actual structure of the building didn't change at all. You can look at it; it's not like they took a chunk out. And these, as far as I can tell, are load-bearing walls. There's no _way_ they took them out."

"So they have a _secret_ room that's not on the blueprints." Yamamoto said, holding a finger up. "That's cool!"

"And if _I _was a hitman, - which I was, - this is where I would host a secret meeting." he tapped the blueprint again. "And this is also where I would kill someone who is causing me trouble."

"There's no windows or doors." Tsuna realized. "There's probably only one way in or out." Gokudera nodded enthusiastically.

"_And_ it's in the middle of the building. So even if you _could_ get out of the room, there are floors full of people both above and below you would have to get through."

"I will deal with it." Hibari insisted, though he was gazing at the blueprints curiously.

"Kyoya." Tsuna said. "I have a _really_ bad feeling about this. And I know you're gonna do it anyways, but I just _know_ something is going to go terribly wrong." Hibari considered his words.

"Just a regular feeling or flame-on-your-head feeling?" Yamamoto chipped in.

"Flame-on-my-head feeling. Intuition." Tsuna insisted. "Hayato, I'm assuming you have some kind of plan." Gokudera's face lit up.

"I do." Tsuna looked at Hibari.

"Please let us help." He begged. "Let us come with you; and not just with the rest of the DC members. Let us come into the meeting. You know I can help. I've been meditating. I've been practicing." Tsuna insisted. "There isn't anything they can throw at me that I can't handle." Hibari ground his teeth.

"It's not _your_ behavior that concerns me." Hibari said dismissively. He looked pointedly at Gokudera and Yamamoto. Yamamoto laughed.

"Aw, Hibari." Yamamoto said, clutching his chest dramatically. "That wounds me."

"I have a tactical plan and enough explosives to wire that whole building." Gokudera argued. Hibari raised an eyebrow.

"Explosives," Tsuna said hastily. "That Hayato is _not_ bringing into the school, right?"

"Um, of course." Gokudera looked sheepish.

Tsuna would be shocked if Hibari actually believed them.

"Show me your plan." He said. "I will decide then."

XXXX

okay so obviously Tsuna and Hibari's relationship will still feature in the story, but for scenes that are dedicated just to them and their relationship alone, I was considering uploading side chapters as separate works. Especially as they get older and their relationship develops. Would you prefer I include it in this story or upload them as side chapters on a separate work? Just to be clear, their relationship will still be firmly present. I think there is a lot of humor to be derived from them and their interactions, as well as with other characters.


	9. Chapter 9

so we're SO close to involving Ietsuna and Reborn. also after reading all your comments, i think i am going to upload relationship stuff as side works, but that's not to say they won't have moments more focused on their relationship at all in this story. I have a few chapters already written and they do have some moments focusing on the two of them without making the story all about Hibari and Tsuna, so let me know if you think it is a good amount after the next few chapters

XXXX

Tsuna had to admit, he was glad Gokudera got involved.

It had taken a while, with Gokudera tangled in a mess of wires and explosives for _hours_, fixated on what he was doing.

In the dead of night, with the assistance of various DC members, Gokudera had scaled the side of the building and wired every single window on the floor the secret room was on. Smaller explosives, that when activated, would blow out the window to allow an escape from the second story window. It wasn't a huge building; only three stories. Four, if you counted the basement. From there on, Gokudera had offered them various escape routes. Jumping out the window wasn't ideal, but a jump from the second story window wouldn't kill them.

All three of them, Yamamoto, Tsuna, and Hibari had a small trigger on them that would set them all off so that any of them could blow the windows. And Tsuna had more than enough firepower to blow through some drywall if they really needed to.

Gokudera _had_ offered to bring the building down, but Tsuna had stopped him.

From there on, there would be DC members stationed at the back and front doors of the building.

It was also an old building with an old ventilation system to the bar in the basement. One that connected to an outdoor location that Gokudera had pinpointed. He had built some kind of explosive that would funnel a large quantity of smoke and heat through the ventilation system. If they needed to clear the basement of civilians rapidly, they could do so in a heartbeat.

"It's not perfect." Gokudera admitted. "But at least we have some actual backup." Tsuna had thanked him profusely anyways. Gokudera himself would be stationed in the bar. His whole delinquent persona meant that he was likely the only person who could pass for a regular without tipping off the yakuza. "Whatever you do," Gokudera had said. "Don't let them get you another floor up or onto the roof. We can't reach you from there."

They were meeting at Nami Middle, in the middle of the night. Gokudera was already at the bar at that point, ready to go and studying the people inside.

Hibari was naturally, the first one there. He was leaning on the gate, arms crossed. Brooding, as usual.

"Tsunayoshi." He said. Tsuna leaned next to him, bumping his head against Hibari's shoulder. They weren't very touchy, but there was a level of closeness that Hibari accepted without question or comment. Even _welcomed_. Tsuna had always secretly thought that no matter how much Hibari complained about Tsuna touching him in the past, he didn't actually mind. Or maybe even enjoyed some of it. Tsuna was in the process of confirming his theory.

"I won't be in fighting condition after I enter that weird mode." Tsuna said. "I mean, I won't pass out." Tsuna had been practicing; he'd taken Ryohei's advice and taken up meditation. He could now bring out that flame pretty reliably and a little less reliably enter that concentrated state. He was certain he would be able to do it if they were being threatened.

He no longer thought he was going to pass out after entering that concentrated state, but he would certainly be weak and exhausted. It honestly kind of hurt his brain. Though, with the combination of that clarity and strength, Tsuna would be able to end whatever conflict was taking place decisively.

"So that's our last option." Tsuna said. "I hope we won't have to use it."

"I am confident in my skills." Hibari responded. That was an _understatement_.

"Hey Tsuna!" Yamamoto waved his hand at them from down the street. He was carrying something on his back. At first glance, Tsuna thought it was the shinai he always carried, but the bag was different.

"I hope you brought more than that shinai." Hibari said dryly as Yamamoto approached. Yamamoto laughed, and patted the bag on his back.

"Oh, I did. I got the Shigure Kintoki from my old man." He said. His eyes narrowed. "Maybe you'll even see some of my Shigure Souen Ryu."

"Shigure Souen Ryu?" Tsuna asked. Yamamoto grinned back.

"It's my sword technique. And it's, y'know. Perfect, and flawless." He shot Tsuna a thumbs up. "So we have nothing to worry about!"

Tsuna had _seen_ Yamamoto practice with the shinai before, watching him swing it often. On one occasion, Yamamoto had been sparring lightly with his father, shinai to shinai. And Tsuna knew he was _good_, but had yet to see Yamamoto get serious.

Hibari rolled his eyes.

"Let's get moving."

XXXX

They met a yakuza member outside of the bar. He seemed apprehensive at the inclusion of Yamamoto and Tsuna, but was really only deferring to Hibari. He had gone inside, brought another member out, and after one look at Hibari's unassuming companions, they were allowed to come in. Tsuna supposed that he looked like a fluffy little child and Yamamoto was too good-natured and cheerful to ever imagine that he was capable of more.

"What do they do for the DC?" The man had asked, smoking a cigarette and evaluating the two younger boys flanking Hibari.

"They're my secretaries." Hibari had said dismissively. Tsuna had bitten back a laugh.

The trio was brought up onto the second floor, up to a wall that was stained with nicotine. As they walked up, Tsuna felt a building sense of dread. There was something _wrong_. He wasn't sure what tipped him off, but he just _knew_. The yakuza member knocked on it and it sounded rather hollow. There was a click, and it creaked open.

"A secret doorway?" Yamamoto whispered. "That's pretty cool." Hibari shot him an icy look. The man gestured for them to go in, and Tsuna reached out to touch Hibari's arm. There were warning bells going off in his head like _crazy_. He did _not_ want to step into that room. Hibari looked back at him and Tsuna shook his head. Every fiber of his being was telling him that they were about to walk into a trap. Hibari met his eyes, but shook his head back. He turned back around, lifting his head.

They _knew_ they were walking into a trap. But they had to anyways.

They entered the dark room and Tsuna's skin was practically itching. And when the lights came on, the truth was revealed.

They were surrounded on all sides by armed men. Tsuna counted six, total. The room was dark and cramped, a few lightbulbs swinging from the sealing, casting ominous shadows on the figures inside. The floor was spattered with red stains.

"Hibari Kyoya." One of them spoke. He had short, spiky hair and a tattoo on his neck. "So sorry to meet like this."

"Have you been hired to kill us or are just choosing to?" Hibari said flatly. His voice betrayed nothing.

"We've been hired to kill you tonight." He gestured at Tsuna. "We were to _eventually_ receive a contract on you. Gotta be careful not to kill you tonight, or they might not pay up. We'll just have to hang onto you." The tattooed man fished a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket, banging them on his thigh to pop one out. He removed it with his mouth, and lit up. Hibari made a face.

"Who hired you?" Hibari demanded. The gangster in front of him waved a hand dismissively.

"Some fucking Italian. Said that you had gotten in the way of a lot of contracts on this one-," He gestured at Tsuna again. "And that he would pay big money to to take care of you." He turned his gaze onto Tsuna. "I've seen the number of failed contracts on you. You're a hard target to hit, apparently." He stepped forward, leaning forward. Smoke drifted into Tsuna's face and Tsuna coughed. The yakuza tilted his head curiously. "I've been curious, about what makes you so special." He admitted. "And what makes you so _hard_ to hit." He reached out, as if to touch Tsuna. "You're so _tiny-_," Before his outstretched hand could reach Tsuna, Yamamoto was in between them, one hand on his bag behind his head.

"I wouldn't do that." Yamamoto said. The yakuza looked surprised, but laughed.

"We're not gonna _kill_ him. Not yet, anyways." He said. "So you don't have anything to worry about, kiddo." He pivoted towards Hibari. "Now, _you_..." He tapped his cigarette, ash falling to the ground.

"That's disgusting." Hibari complained. Then he narrowed his eyes. "You're going to tell me everything."

"Oh, that's pretty rich of you, kiddo." The guy said, smiling. "I believe I'm the one who has you trapped in here with me."

"No." Hibari said. "You're trapped in here with _me_."

Tsuna clicked the trigger in his pocket.

_BANG!_

The whole building _shook_. There was the immediate sound of glass shattering and screaming, as dust cloud seeped into the room.

At the jarring noise, all the yakuza were surprised, stumbling back and looking around. Some of them even fell flat on their asses.

And then Hibari attacked.

"Kyoya-," Tsuna tried to say, but Hibari was already tearing through this crowd with brutal efficiency. In a blink of the eye, the yakuza in front of them was on the ground, screaming in pain as Tsuna heard the cracking of his knee caps and then blood spurting from his face and Hibari stomped on it. Hibari sprang forward, ripping through another member before he could even draw his guns. One of the yakuza pulled a gun and started firing, panicked at the scene before them, but Hibari dodged the first bullet-,

_Clang!_

Yamamoto was standing in the path, eyes narrowed, stance widened. He had drawn his sword, a long, silver blade with what looked like an antique handle and a swallow engraved towards the hilt. He was holding it so that the flat edge faced the yakuza who had fired.

He had deflected the bullet.

Tsuna's mouth dropped open.

Yamamoto wasted no time spring into action, attacking the shooter with brutal efficiency. His swings had the yakuza springing back, clearly frightened by the sharp blade coming towards his face with a speed and power Tsuna hadn't known Yamamoto was capable of. The yakuza's shaking hands tried to fire a gun, but in one powerful swing, it went flying from his hands. He screamed, swinging out at Yamamoto. Yamamoto ducked his punches easily, crouching down and sweeping up behind the criminal in one fluid motion, his sword moving easily, almost _elegantly._

Like a ripple of water.

The yakuza shrieked as blood sprayed from the back of his legs, collapsing to his knees. Yamamoto knocked him on the back of the head with the hilt.

In the same, fluid movement, he was twisting to attack another yakuza, who had dropped his own weapon, terrified at the scene before him. In a matter of _seconds_, Hibari had torn through three fully grown men, leaving them crippled and screaming on the floor. Yamamoto had deflected a bullet and cut down another man with almost cruel efficiency.

There were only two left.

Tsuna, who had been training for years now, Tsuna with a power that could rip through this room and burn the building to the ground, _Tsuna who had begged to come along_...

Felt _unnecessary_.

He certainly wasn't hindering his friends; but they would have been just _fine_ without him.

The other yakuza, the one who wasn't cowering from Yamamoto reached out to grab Tsuna by his collar a snarl of desperation on his face. Tsuna ducked down, sweeping his foot out and grabbing the forearm of the yakuza at the same movement. He twisted and altered the man's path of momentum, sending him headfirst into the ground, groaning. When the yakuza tried to get to his feet, Tsuna punched him in the jaw, knocking him out.

When Tsuna turned around, Yamamoto had taken care of the last yakuza and Hibari was dragging the one who had spoken up to a wall. A banging on the secret door started, voices clamoring outside.

They couldn't have _possibly_ known how quickly it had all ended, from the moment the windows blew to now.

Tsuna padded over to Hibari, who had been joined by Yamamoto.

"You were adequate." Hibari sniffed to Yamamoto. "Omnivore." Yamamoto grinned and clapped Hibari on the shoulder.

"Aw, you _like_ me!"

"Don't let this go to your head." Hibari snapped. Yamamoto twisted to see Tsuna.

"So I guess you guys didn't really need me." Tsuna said. Yamamoto smiled softly at Tsuna and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"We always need you, Tsuna." Tsuna glanced down. Yamamoto was no longer holding a blade, but a bamboo sword.

"Takeshi..." Tsuna was dumbfounded. "Where's your sword?" Yamamoto scratched his head and brought up the bamboo sword.

"Oh yeah, this?" Tsuna nodded. "This is Shigure Kintoki's sheath. When I don't need it, it comes back out."

"So you have a...magic sword?" Tsuna asked. Yamamoto blinked.

"You know, I never thought of it like that!"

There was more banging on the door.

"_Tayama? Tayama, what's happened?!"_

"Focus." Hibari said. "I would estimate we only have minutes before they open the door."

"There's a window right across from this door." Tsuna said, recalling the blue prints. "Or Gokudera should be smoking out the basement soon, so we can escape downstairs that way. Either way, we can slip away in the crowd." Hibari glanced at the bloody, barely conscious yakuza.

"I want to take him with. Carrying him under fire will be difficult." Hibari said. "We go through the window." He nodded at Tsuna.

There was another bang at the door.

Tsuna turned towards the wall, taking a deep breath. He shut his eyes, and _breathed_.

And then his world shifted.

When he opened his eyes, it was like he was a different person. He turned to look back at Hibari, who had hefted the yakuza over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes, and Yamamoto. Yamamoto smiled back. Neither of them were the smallest bit afraid of him. In fact, Tsuna saw in their body language what he already knew to be true; the deepest trust and confidence.

"Step back." Tsuna said. He stepped to the wall, gently tapping it. "Please move." He said to the wall. "The door will be opening shortly." He heard swears and confusion on the other side, but shuffling footsteps. Tsuna lit up his hand, drawing out the heat and destructive power.

And then he punched the wall, setting off his flame like a cannon.

It blew through not just that wall, but straight through the brick structure beyond. Bricks flew out, undoubtedly raining down on the crowd under it as they went running out of the bar. Tsuna heard screams and yells, but it didn't sound like anyone was seriously injured, just shocked as a cloud of smoke and dust blew out of the building. The floor was absolutely scorched, the wood cracking under his feet.

He may have put a little more power behind it than he intended.

Tsuna pressed onwards, until he got to the giant hole in the wall. If there were any yakuza that would have stood in their way, they had either scurried away or been blown out of their path. Tsuna glanced back to see his friends following him before he hopped out of the window, landing firmly in a kneeling position.

He had suspected he was sturdier in this mode, and perhaps in general as a result of his use of flames, but his hypothesis was confirmed as he landed.

People were running out around him, yelling in confusion. They barely noticed him landing, plenty of smoke venting out of the front door of the bar. It greatly reduced visibility.

"Toss him down." Tsuna called up. "I'll catch him." Hibari dropped him immediately, but Tsuna caught the unconscious form easily. "Head towards the back door." Tsuna informed them, as Hibari leapt out of the window, tucking and rolling as he landed. Yamamoto followed, both of them unharmed and following Tsuna around the building through the crowd of people.

Kusakabe and Gokudera were already waiting for them at the backdoor, the DC's official school van parked down the street, running.

"Tsuna!" Gokudera exclaimed. "Are you okay?" Tsuna nodded, still in his concentrated state.

"Good job on the explosives." He informed Gokudera. Gokudera flushed.

"Uh...thank you." Tsuna handed the unconscious form off the Kusakabe, with Hibari imparting instructions on his second-in-command.

"And Takeshi, you were very impressive. I am sorry if I ever gave the impression I lacked confidence in your skills. I have full faith in you as a swordsman." Tsuna informed Yamamoto, who just smiled back.

"Glad I got to show off a little." He teased. Hibari turned to Tsuna, and Tsuna had a pretty good idea about what was going to happen next.

"Right now?" Tsuna asked Hibari emotionlessly. Hibari didn't _smile_, but Tsuna noticed the corner of his mouth twitch. "Is this really the time?" The first DC van pulled away and the second pulled up, ready for the four of them to pile into. Kusakabe must have thought ahead and arranged both to be here, since Tsuna knew that planning was generally not Hibari's strong suit. He never doubted what he was going to do next, but Tsuna had come to the conclusion that Hibari was just too lazy to plan several moves ahead and preferred to deal with it in the moment. Hibari was the unquestioned leader of the DC, but it would _never_ run without Kusakabe.

"You don't know what I'm going to do." Hibari said, moving closer to face Tsuna.

"I do." Tsuna said flatly. "You're gonna get burned." Tsuna peered up at the skylark. Hibari was quite a bit taller than him.

"No, I won't." Hibari informed. The taller boy craned his neck down and leaned forward. He pecked Tsuna on the mouth, chaste, but sweet. It was brief; but Tsuna had ample time to notice how soft Hibari's lips were and the gentle smile that tugged at Hibari's mouth when he kissed Tsuna that only Tsuna was aware of. It was their first kiss; and it was outside of a burning yakuza building they had just busted out of.

"And they say romance is dead." Tsuna commented. He glanced to the side. It seemed like Gokudera's brain was broken from the way his mouth hung open in disbelief. Yamamoto shot Tsuna a cheerful thumbs up.

"Stop staring, herbivores." Hibari ordered, but with less bite, than usual. Gokudera was bright red.

"You two-,! I didn't...I didn't realize!" Gokudera was cycling through stages of shock and disbelief.

"It's not a secret." Tsuna said. "I'm dropping out now." He informed his friends, closing his eyes. The flame on his forehead extinguished, and he let out a shaky breath. Exhaustion seeped into his bones, and his knees went weak for a moment. He would have fallen, but strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him to his feet. Tsuna opened his eyes, and yawned. He peered up. Hibari had caught him. "Can I go home now?" Tsuna asked. Hibari's eyes softened for a moment, so that only Tsuna could see.

"I second that." Yamamoto chipped in. Hibari's eyes immediately narrowed.

"Get in the van." Hibari ordered. He unwrapped his arms from Tsuna, but kept hold of Tsuna's elbow to support him, basically dragging Tsuna into the van and tossing him unceremoniously. There was _nothing_ romantic about it. Tsuna groaned as he landed on the hard metal. He heard Gokudera protest loudly, until Hibari smacked him in the back of the head to shut him up.

"_Kyoya_." He was miffed. Hibari climbed in after Gokudera and Yamamoto.

"You're not gonna _break_." Hibari responded, slamming the door shut. Tsuna was pretty sure the only reason Hibari had caught him in the first place was because Tsuna had been close to him; otherwise he was sure the skylark would have let him fall into the dirt like a sack of potatoes, kiss or no kiss.

As the van started moving, it was naturally, Yamamoto, who broke the silence.

"So, I'm proud of us, guys!" He exclaimed. The van must have been a _sight_. Tsuna curled up on the metal ground, barely able to keep his eyes open. He was tucked away, almost under the bench. His tiny form was rattled by every bump in the road. Hibari was sitting on the bench above him, glaring at the van silently. Gokudera was flushed, in the corner, sorting through a variety of explosive devices, trying not to look at the chairman. They all smelled a little smoky. "We have strategies! We had backup plans! We had a little _shock_ and _awe_."

"That's not what shock and awe means!" Gokudera snapped.

"I mean, they were shocked. And awed, I'm sure. I certainly was. What else could it mean?"

Tsuna listened to the two of them bicker through half-lidded eyes. He felt cold now, without his flames. He looked at his hand, and lit it up. Hibari's hand immediately shot out and grabbed it, pulling Tsuna up with a yelp.

"Put that out!" He hissed. Tsuna's hand was radiating heat. "Do you not see how many explosives are in his lap?" Tsuna blinked and extinguished the flame immediately.

"Whoops." Tsuna settled in a sitting position, his head resting against the bench next to Hibari's leg. "Sorry." He admitted. "I was just cold and I wasn't thinking." Hibari rolled his eyes.

"_Clearly_." Tsuna yawned again, pulling his knees to his chest. Suddenly, hands grabbed his shoulders, pushing him forward a little. Tsuna wasn't sure what was happening until he felt something warm being laid over him. Hibari set him back down against the bench.

"Oh." Tsuna said, looking down to see Hibari's jacket covering him. It was oversized on him. "Thank you."

"Try not to kill us next time you get cold." Hibari responded, crossing his arms and leaning back.

When Tsuna woke up, his head was resting against Hibari's knee and he was relatively certain he had drooled on it. He was groggy and bleary-eyed, Hibari shaking him awake. He peered up at the skylark. They were alone in the van, the other inhabitants having been dropped off while he was asleep.

"We're at your house." Hibari informed him. "I'm not carrying you in like a child. You're tired, not injured." He added. Tsuna snorted. Tsuna very slowly climbed to his feet, yawning through a thank you. He set Hibari's jacket in his lap, sliding the door to the van open. Tsuna leaned in and pecked Hibari on the cheek before hopping out of the van. He waved, giving the skylark a soft smile.

"See you tomorrow, Kyoya."

XXXX

Reborn wasn't sure what Nono wanted him to _do_ with the kid, exactly.

He had his sources to inform him of what had happened with the young Decimo. The violent, unexpected attack. It was so ferocious that he would have expected it from someone with a personal grudge against the future don. Not just some stupid hitman trying to make a name for himself, with little regard for the alliances of the mafia world.

But he still hadn't expected the call from Nono. The call imploring him, _pleading_ for his help. Timoteo had sounded so _old_.

When he had arrived at the mansion, he had been greeted by the head of CEDEF and Nono, both looking nervous. The young Lion of Vongola looked worse, dark circles under his eyes. His hands shook ever so slightly.

"You look like shit." Reborn informed Nono, peering up at him. "I heard about what happened. How's the kid?"

Nono was hesitant to answer; not a good sign. Sure, Reborn knew generally what had happened, but the energy in the mansion informed him that it was so much worse than he was imagining.

"Please, just come to meet him." Nono said. "We'll explain on the way." They began walking.

"You're the father." Reborn stated to the blonde man, who nodded.

"I'm Sawada Iemitsu." His voice sounded raspy and terrible. "Ietsuna's my son."

"How bad is it?" Reborn asked. Sawada shook his head, clearly very affected by whatever had happened.

Nono explained as they walked and Reborn allowed him to, even though he had heard most of these details already. The boy had been attacked, and even though he had been involved in the mafia for some time now, he had barely begun to learn his Dying Will Flames. Reborn scoffed to himself at that. The young Decimo was _sixteen_, almost seventeen. Nono's own sons had been leaps and bounds of Decimo at his age, and they had all been killed.

Decimo should have been _mastering_ them at this point, if the destructive power Xanxus had wielded at Decimo's age informed anyone.

But Reborn suspected that it was Sawada who was the source of that decision. After all, during the explanation, Reborn watched Sawada's eyes glaze over with grief as he spoke.

"Things like this weren't supposed to happen." His voice had cracked. "He was supposed to be _safe_."

Reborn didn't say anything; perhaps he would later, in private, to Nono. After all, Nono wanted Reborn to tutor the future Decimo. If there was any chance of that happening, Reborn was going to change some things.

It was also revealed, though again, Reborn had already known most of this, that Decimo had nowhere _near_ a full set of Guardians. He _had_ a Rain Guardian and someone Sawada confessed they had been eyeing for his Storm Guardian, but nothing concrete. Reborn already suspected that the constant hovering of Sawada around Decimo had only hindered the teenager. It was hard to make those kinds of deep connections if your father was constantly intervening in your life. That protective shell placed around Decimo had only hurt him.

The Rain Guardian had been Decimo's closest friend. But he was dead now, of course, his brain painting a sidewalk somewhere.

Closed casket funerals were hard for a teenager to stomach, Reborn was guessing.

When they reached the door, Nono turned to Reborn, eyes filled with grief.

Oh, it was _bad_.

"Reborn, my old friend, I know I've asked for a lot already." Reborn didn't contradict him. "But I have another to ask. Please, be as kind to him as you can. He has just experienced a devastating loss."

"I don't know what you expect me to do here." Reborn responded. "I'm not a miracle worker."

"Just meet him, please." Sawada begged. "I've tried everything I can to help him. I don't know what else to do."

"Fine." Reborn agreed. "I'll meet him."

And the moment Reborn stepped into the room, he was pretty certain there wasn't much he could do for this broken boy.

This kid didn't need a tutor; he needed _therapy_.

He was sitting in plush green chair, knees pulled up. He had a book in his hand, but didn't seem to be reading it. His brown eyes were dead, staring blankly at the pages, dark circles under his eyes. He was so pale Reborn could see the veins under his eyes, his skin practically translucent. His messy blonde hair looked dirty and limp. He appeared unharmed from the incident that had taken place only a short time ago, but deeply affected.

"Ciaossu." Reborn said, approaching the boy. He looked younger than Reborn knew he was, in this moment. He had seen the future Decimo before, loud and vibrant. This was nothing like that. "Sawada Ietsuna." Ietsuna looked at him, eyes blank.

"You're...Reborn." He said slowly.

"The World's Greatest Hitman." Reborn added. "And you're the future Decimo." Ietsuna looked away at that. "I'm here to tutor you." The boy laughed, dark and full of pain.

"Since I couldn't even protect my own Guardian." He looked down at his own hands. "Do they think you can actually help me?"

"Maybe." Reborn said.

"I can use my Dying Will Flames. That's not why Nagisa died."

Amaya Nagisa _had_ been the future tenth Rain Guardian. A swordsman of great respect, and another Japanese transplant to Italy. Nagisa had become friends with Ietsuna through school, and the two had been thick as thieves, according to Reborn's sources. And Amaya Nagisa had seemed to be the second coming of Asari Ugetsu. Some even thought the boy resembled the first Rain Guardian, though Reborn personally thought that was a bit of a stretch. He was well-liked, a skilled fighter, and loyal to Ietsuna.

"Why did he die?" Reborn asked. He knew that Nagisa had taken a bullet to the head from a hitman, but wanted to hear what Ietsuna had to say.

Ietsuna looked frailer than ever. He shook his head, his voice falling to a whisper.

"I didn't _trust_ him. I tried to stop him, because I thought he wouldn't be able to handle it. He hesitated when he wouldn't have otherwise. If I had _trusted_ him, he would-," Ietsuna broke off, unable to continue. _He would be here right now_.

"Mistakes happen." Reborn said. "Some are worse than others. Do you think you could ever accept another Rain Guardian?" Ietsuna made a choked noise, throwing the book onto the floor.

"I don't even want to do this!" He struggled to get his words out. "I never wanted it! And I certainly don't _now_." He shook his head, biting his lip and staring out the window. "I just want to go _home_. I want to see my little brother. And my _mom_."

"Is that how you feel?" Reborn asked. He needed to know definitively if this boy would even be up to the task. He felt like he had _known_ that there was another brother, but he had put it out of his mind as unnecessary information.

If this boy could never accept a future as a mafioso, Reborn would tell Nono as much. They were better off starting from scratch than trying to force this clearly damaged child into something he wasn't capable of coping with.

"I _can't_ watch the people around me die." Ietsuna sobbed. "And I can't protect them."

Reborn had seen enough.

When he spoke to Nono after, he was honest.

"You should find another candidate." He informed the Ninth. Timoteo closed his eyes.

"I was afraid you would say that."

"You can't _give up on him_!" Sawada exclaimed. Reborn did not particularly care for the man. "He needs our _help_."

"He needs therapy." Reborn responded. "I don't know if he'll recover from this. I certainly don't think he'll ever accept another Rain Guardian."

"So he just won't have another Rain Guardian! He'll have plenty of others." Sawada insisted. Reborn and Nono exchanged looks. As a member of the Trinisette, Reborn was privy to _some_ knowledge about the power of the Vongola rings and more importantly, how crucial the Vongola inheritance was. Information that Sawada wasn't even aware of.

"That's not how this works." Reborn said. Nono sighed.

"He will need one eventually, but perhaps we can just focus on finding the rest of the Guardians first. The topic of the Rain Guardian can be revisited in the future." Nono suggested. Reborn was irritated, the sway Sawada seemed to have over the current don.

"I have already given my professional opinion." Reborn said. "I don't know what else you want from me."

"We are out of options." Nono reminded him. "I would not put this boy through this unless it was necessary."

"He said he had a brother." The hitman stated. Sawada reacted like he'd been burnt, looking appalled at the thought.

"My little Tsu-kun?" He shook his head. "I _love_ my little Tsu-kun, but he's not capable of this, Reborn. He's too soft. He's clumsy, shy. He isn't capable of hurting a _fly._" Sawada insisted. "One time, a puppy licked him and he _cried_."

"_How_ old is he?" Reborn felt like he was missing something here. Sawada coughed.

"He should be...fourteen now?"

"When was the last time you _saw_ him?" Reborn asked incredulously. Sawada rubbed the back of his head.

"It's been...a _while_ since I last saw him." Sawada admitted. If he was refusing to give a concrete answer, Reborn could only assume that meant _years_. "But Nono will tell you! Tsuna is not at all _suited_ to this." Timoteo looked apprehensive.

"He was a sweet child." Timoteo admitted. "But I would not recommend him. If there is any chance Ietsuna can be set back on the right path, he is our best candidate." Reborn felt like his words weren't getting through to them.

"I'm telling you, he can't be. Or at least _I _can't fix him."

"I don't believe that." Sawada said. "I know my son the best, and I'm telling you, he _can_. Just _try_."

"Please, Reborn." Nono's eyes were pleading with Reborn. "If the most you do is protect him for a little while, that may be enough for him to find his confidence again."

"I'm a hitman. Not a _babysitter_."

"I know what great work you did with the Cavallone boy. I believe you are capable of helping Ietsuna." Reborn closed his eyes. He felt Leon shift on his shoulders.

"Fine." He snapped. "I'll try and work with him. And at some point, I'm taking him back to Japan. He said he wanted to see his little brother and his mom; maybe that will do him some good. He needs something he isn't getting here." _In this hollow mansion filled with ghosts._

Nono nodded in agreement.

"I believe that would be the best course of action." He had his fingers laced together on top of his cane. He turned to the blonde man beside him. "Would you like to accompany Ietsuna home when the time comes? I'm sure spending at least a little time together as a family unit would be good for him." Sawada's cheeks reddened.

"Um, sure, yes. Depending on what is going on at the time." _Liar_, Reborn thought.

XXXX

so when i said that we're SO close i mean like...next chapter


	10. Chapter 10

So...here we go

XXXX

Yamamoto had put quite a bit of thought into the teams, Tsuna was beginning to realize. They were in the reception room of the DC at Nami High, even though the two of them still had almost an entire school year before they were to attend.

The room looked almost exactly like the reception office at Nami Middle. Tsuna was pretty sure Hibari had gotten it decorated the same. Kusakabe was sitting at his own desk while Tsuna sat in an armchair, legs slung over one side. They were both listening as Yamamoto pointed at the whiteboard with his bamboo sword. There was a crudely drawn baseball diagram on the board, and then teams listed on either side, with _Hibari Kyoya_ scribbled below them.

Tsuna, Gokudera, and Hana were separated into one team, while Yamamoto, Ryohei, and Kyoko were separated into another. Yamamoto had already enlisted Kusakabe to be a neutral pitcher. Yamamoto was in the midst of explaining why he had placed each person for his rendition of baseball for Tsuna's birthday the next day.

"In Baseball 2, or _Evil_ Baseball," Yamamoto had declared it.

In _Evil_ _Baseball_, it was almost like regular baseball, but with a neutral pitcher, the removal of baseball diamonds throughout the game, the legitimate stealing of bases, and Hibari Kyoya. During the first attempt at an explanation, Gokudera had leaned into Tsuna and whispered, horrified,

"What the fuck is he trying to invent?"

The rules had simplified since then.

The intention, according to Yamamoto, was that Hibari would be allowed to nap on the field.

"And if you hit him with a baseball, he's allowed to kill you." Yamamoto said, like his thoughts were clear to everyone. "He's the wild card." Tsuna had laughed so hard he almost cried, but Yamamoto was dead serious.

"But _why_?" Tsuna had asked.

"Because it adds a fun, sexy element of danger." Yamamoto insisted.

After a previous attempt to persuade Hibari to participate had, predictably, gone poorly, Yamamoto had come to Tsuna and Kusakabe.

"So, I asked Hibari about it." He had said to Tsuna.

"And how did that go over?" Tsuna asked. He had not warned his boyfriend whatsoever about what Yamamoto had been coming to see him about. He felt like Hibari could handle it on his own.

"Oh, you know him. He said what he always says, "Get the fuck out of my office.""

Yamamoto was currently trying to present his case to Kusakabe and Tsuna, prepared to make another go at it. They were waiting for Hibari to be done with his work, as Yamamoto had opened the door, sticking his head in with a cheerful,

"_Hibariiii_-," And the skylark had immediately thrown a stapler at his head.

"He has to leave at _some point_." Yamamoto insisted. Tsuna was certain that Hibari was delaying exiting his office on purpose. He could probably hear Yamamoto's needlessly complicated game from inside his office.

Tsuna was entertained, though.

"You know, it's alright if this doesn't work out." Tsuna said. "I'm happy as long as I spend my birthday among friends." Yamamoto waved his hand.

"No, I'm gonna make it work."

Finally, the door to Hibari's office swung open and the skylark stepped out, arms crossed. Tsuna leaned his head against his hand and grinned at him. Hibari had grown a few inches, which he would only describe to Tsuna as _uncomfortable_. He had filled out, a taller, more imposing figure than before. If Hibari wasn't so..._Hibari_, Tsuna was certain the skylark would have been the sweetheart of Nami High with his intense eyes and the sharp angles to his face.

"What do you _possibly _wish to bother me with?" He demanded. Yamamoto instantly launched into a speech. To his credit, Hibari let him continue much longer than Tsuna initially thought he would. "_Stop_." He held up a hand.

"Aw, come on, Hibari! It would be so fun for Tsuna's birthday!" Hibari flicked his eyes over to Kusakabe.

"Are you participating in this nonsense?" Kusakabe rubbed his neck.

"I thought it would be nice for Tsuna-kun's birthday, Kyo-san." Kusakabe admitted sheepishly. Hibari flicked his eyes back to Tsuna, who was still grinning at him, before turning back to Yamamoto.

"I am not required to throw a ball or swing a bat, correct?" He interrogated Yamamoto. "I am simply able to nap on the field?" He seemed apprehensive, like he was expecting Yamamoto to spring something on him.

"That's it!" Yamamoto insisted. Hibari turned to Tsuna.

"You will be participating, correct?"

"Oh, of course." Tsuna said. "It's my birthday, after all." Hibari huffed.

"_Fine_." Yamamoto punched the air.

"_Yes!"_

"Be quiet." Hibari snapped. Yamamoto grabbed his backpack from the chair, scrambling to gather it all in his arms.

"I've gotta go organize a few things!" He said excitedly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tsuna!" He ruffled Tsuna's hair and then bolted off, before Hibari could change his mind. Hibari sighed as Yamamoto raced away, gleeful.

Hibari walked over to Tsuna, brushing his hand against Tsuna's leg.

"There is something wrong with that omnivore." He told Tsuna. Tsuna laughed, sitting up.

"You're one to talk, Kyo." He pushed himself up and out of the chair, turning to Hibari. He leaned up to give him a quick peck on the lips.

They weren't exactly the cuddliest of couples, but things had certainly progressed between them. There were plenty of casual kisses exchanged and some deeper ones in private. That had surprised Tsuna, the first time Hibari had grabbed him by the waist and "slipped him the tongue" as Yamamoto had said.

Hibari did not care for Yamamoto's commentary.

It had also surprised Tsuna how much he had _liked_ it. It felt natural though, at the perfect pace for Tsuna.

There were other moments of intimacy as well; plenty of things that made Tsuna red to talk about and he absolutely _refused_ to share with Yamamoto, no matter how much Yamamoto poked and prodded him about it. Where Tsuna and Hibari were at in their sex life was absolutely _no one_ else's business, in Tsuna's opinion. Tsuna preferred that his friends view him as a completely nonsexual being, some friends more than others.

Even though Hibari didn't share anything, surprisingly, he did not care whatsoever. Tsuna had heard Hibari make jokes before, as dry and sarcastic as they were, and one day he was going to say something about him and Tsuna and Yamamoto would _regret_ it. Gokudera would probably pass out. When Tsuna said he preferred some friends more than others to view him as a nonsexual being, Gokudera was that friend.

To Tsuna though, the biggest thing was when he napped with Hibari. In general, Tsuna wasn't a big napper. So in the beginning, it started off with Hibari's head in Tsuna's lap, the skylark sleeping softly while Tsuna read a book and ran a hand through Hibari's hair. Eventually, Tsuna had joined Hibari and the feeling of being drawn to the older boy's chest, Hibari pressing his face into Tsuna's hair, or Tsuna's neck, was deeply emotionally intimate.

Even though Tsuna felt he had a substantially intimate relationship with Hibari, Hibari had in no way _softened_. Hibari was still _Hibari_. Most of the people who saw them interact, with the exception of Tsuna's close friends, had no idea that they were even together.

Hibari blinked at him.

"I'm hungry." He informed him. Tsuna laughed.

"Ice cream or real food?"

"Ice cream." Hibari had a little bit of a sweet tooth.

"Alright, green tea ice cream it is."

XXXX

Surprisingly, evil baseball was a _smashing_ success.

The competition amped up significantly with the physical stealing of bases. The ridiculous rules meant that even though some of them, like Yamamoto and Ryohei, were better at sports than others, anyone could get ahead. Tsuna had never gotten into so many tussles with his friends in such a short amount of time. There was plenty of grappling for bases.

Tsuna didn't think he had ever laughed so hard during a baseball game.

They were all doing terribly, for certain. And they were all red and sweaty, but _highly _competitive. Hibari had only been hit once so far, and he drop-kicked Ryohei across the field before going back to sleep in the soft grass.

It definitely _did_ introduce an element of terror.

It was the best birthday of Tsuna's _life_.

And they knew that after, they would eat Nana's amazing cooking, sprawled out on the field and basking in the afternoon sun. It was more than enough for Tsuna, just playing some stupid game with his friends in his yard.

Tsuna, Gokudera, and Hana were currently huddled up.  
"Alright, so that baseball idiot is up to bat." Gokudera jerked a thumb at Yamamoto, who was swinging the bat around, waving at them. "But we can _beat_ him."

"It's safe to assume he's going to knock it out of the park." Hana pointed out. "But we can still steal some bases in the mean time. I think we have to accept we might take a net loss on him right now, though."

"Unless he hits Kyoya." Tsuna pointed out. "It could still happen."

"No matter what, we got this!" Gokudera insisted. Tsuna snickered. Hana grinned back. "Break!" Gokudera shouted, as they broke apart.

_CRACK!_

"TAKESHI!" Tsuna complained, loudly, as the baseball went sailing over the wall, easily. Takeshi grinned back, leisurely jogging to the bases, which had been...moved in a very non-traditional format.

"_GO TEAM!_" Ryohei howled, fired up.

XXXX

Reborn had taken the liberty of doing some research on Namimori. And in the process, compiled a list of potential Guardians for Ietsuna, at the behest of Nono. Reborn was still of the opinion that Ietsuna would be better off out of the life, but apparently that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

Reborn's top candidates for Ietsuna's Guardians had made themselves apparent.

There was Sasagawa Ryohei's potential future as a Sun Guardian; the boxer already had combat skills, an unrivaled sunny disposition, and Reborn was certain that once his loyalty was acquired, it would be unwavering. There was also Sasagawa Kyoko, who Reborn suspected could also be a Sun, but seemed to lack the same combat skills. That could be taught, Reborn supposed, but with it being as late in the game as it was for Ietsuna, it would be best to get the future Decimo a fighter.

Then, _the_ Smokin' Bomb Hayato, who had been seen around Namimori those past few years, seemingly out of the life and residing in the tiny town. Reborn knew that the former hitman was primarily a Storm, but seemed to possess other qualities that Reborn thought could make him a viable candidate for other Guardian positions as well. Reborn _did_ wonder what had happened specifically to drive Gokudera to the sleepy town of Namimori, but wasn't totally surprised after Shamal had confessed to him the story of Gokudera's family. Still, an excellent candidate.

Reborn _wanted_ Hibari Kyoya so _badly_ for Ietsuna's Cloud Guardian, but getting him to join Ietsuna's family would be a _chore_. He groaned at the thought. While Reborn was sure that Sun and Storm could be acquired easily enough, the question of whether or not Hibari would ever join Ietsuna would come down to Ietsuna's skill and confidence. Which Reborn had major doubts about. The Cloud Guardian was _always_ the most difficult. But Hibari Kyoya was leaps and bounds beyond any other combatant at his age. Leaps and bounds beyond the majority of adult mafiosos, honestly. Reborn would consider Kurokawa Hana, but the sheer combat ability Hibari brought to the table left no doubt in Reborn's mind that Hibari Kyoya would be the strongest Guardian and a critical asset.

It would be hard, though. Everything Reborn read about Hibari Kyoya informed the hitman that there was a very good chance that Hibari was genuinely psychotic. He'd probably fit right in on the Varia, though.

And then there was the _Rain Guardian_.

Yamamoto Takeshi. He was _perfect_, in every way. Popular, kind, driven. Talented. _Perfect_.

Reborn was more concerned about Ietsuna's ability to accept a new Rain Guardian into his heart. They would need to work on that the most.

An obvious lightning or mist had yet to present themselves, but Reborn was sure that would come in time.

Reborn still had plenty of other problems to worry about; he had seen progress in Ietsuna, progress that Sawada Iemitsu clung to as evidence that Ietsuna would be _fine_, but Reborn disagreed. It wasn't the progress he expected to see. Even with _Dino_, it had been faster.

Which is why Reborn was irritated that the man was accompanying him and Ietsuna back to Japan. They had been dropped off at the end of the block and were walking down the street that Sawada _claimed_ was his. Reborn still hadn't pinned him down to an exact length of time since he had last been home, but from what Ietsuna had said, it had been a _minimum_ of six years. Likely more.

If that idiot couldn't remember what street was his, Reborn wouldn't be surprised.

The hitman was riding his student's shoulder as Sawada prattled on about how excited he was to see his "quiet, little Tsu-kun." He was worried, apparently, because little Dame-Tsuna had never had a lot of friends and he was so clumsy and shy, but also _so cute!_ The way he talked about his son made him sound like he was a little kid, not a teenager, almost in high school.

Nonetheless, even Ietsuna seemed excited to see his little brother. He had spoken about him to Reborn, confirming that his little brother _was_ clumsy and shy, but that his genuine heart and empathy were qualities that far exceeded his faults. Reborn was curious to meet the kid, needless to say.

As they walked down the street, Ietsuna and Sawada both looked confused.

"Dad," Ietsuna said. "Are you _sure_ Mom and Tsuna didn't move?" Sawada shook his head. Reborn wasn't sure what was confusing them; it seemed like a typical street. Maybe a little loud, with what sounded like a baseball game going on by one of the houses. Plenty of laughing voices and the _crack_ of a bat.

"They didn't. I checked." Sawada said. "But it sounds like it's coming from the house, doesn't it?" They approached the house the baseball game seemed to be coming from, peering at the gate, which was unlocked.

"This is your house?" Reborn asked. Ietsuna nodded, looking deep in thought. He was quiet, these days.

_CRACK!_

It was so loud it could have been a gunshot, but Reborn was certain it was the noise of a particularly skilled player hitting a baseball. Reborn saw his student cringe, the sound affecting him.

"TAKESHI!" Came a shout from inside the yard.

Sawada entered the gate first, Ietsuna following. Before they both _froze_.

And Reborn?

Reborn was _pissed_.

Every Guardian he had so _carefully_ selected was gathered there, but not for Ietsuna. Even Hibari Kyoya was there, taking a nap, but there nonetheless. Which was deeply telling. Things were not off to a great start for Ietsuna's Guardians.

But even _worse_, Reborn watched as the laughing Rain Guardian he had chosen was tackled by the _spitting image of Primo._

_Fuck._

XXXX

Tsuna knocked Yamamoto to the ground, as they rolled into the grass. Tsuna tried to slip away, but his best friend had a tight grip on him, snickering.

"Takeshi!" He complained.

"Oh, come on, Tsuna. You aren't getting away that easily." He grinned up at Tsuna from the grass. Tsuna wrinkled his nose back, but suddenly heard the front gate slam shut. He looked up, to see two people he had almost given up on ever seeing again.

His father and Ietsuna.

Iemitsu looked almost exactly the same as he did in the pictures, just a little older.

Ietsuna?

Looked _bad_.

He seemed pale and haggard, and Tsuna was instantly worried for his older brother. He peeled himself away from Yamamoto, brushing his sweaty hair out of his face, and approaching the pair, shocked.

Ietsuna looked equally shocked, regarding the crowded yard with disbelief.

"Tsu-kun?" He asked, his voice small.

No matter what anger Tsuna held about the situation, it pulled at his heart strings.

He wrapped his brother in an impossibly tight hug.

"Ietsuna!" His voice cracked as he did. The game slowed behind Tsuna, as they heard Tsuna speak. Tsuna held on for a while, but he felt his brother melt into him, pressing his face into Tsuna's shoulder. When he finally pulled back, he looked up at his brother, concerned. "Is everything okay? We weren't expecting you home."

"I-," Ietsuna stuttered. "We weren't really expecting to be home. It kind of surprised us too." Tsuna's eyes slid to his father, whose mouth was hanging open.

"Dad?" He asked. His father was also slow to react.

"Uh...It's me! Your Papa!" He exclaimed. He held out his arms for a hug. "Give your Papa a hug!" Tsuna took a step back and watched his father's face fall.

"What's going on?" Tsuna asked. "Is something wrong?"

And then, he noticed the third figure. And wondered how he didn't feel it _immediately_. The warning bells went off in his head, screaming _danger_.

At the same time Yamamoto noticed too, because in a _heartbeat_, the baseball player was across the field and between the tiny figure sitting on Ietsuna's head and Tsuna. One hand was back, securely on Tsuna's shoulder, an obviously protective stance. His eyes had gone from mirthful to serious in a split second.

Tsuna could swear he heard the tiny figure curse.

"Can I help you?" Yamamoto asked calmly.

It _looked_ like a baby, but Tsuna was sure it wasn't. It was like a toddler, dressed up in a tiny suit and tiny hat, a lizard curled around the brim of it. It radiated an energy and killing intent that Tsuna did _not_ care for.

"Ciaossu." It said, voice cutesy. "I'm Reborn, the World's Greatest Hitman." Yamamoto smiled serenely, tilting his head.

"It must be troublesome, to be a hitman at such a young age."

"It is." The baby said.

"So, Reborn. Did you want something with Tsuna, or?" Yamamoto asked. Reborn shook his head.

"I'm not here for him."

"So between us then, I would prefer if you stepped back." Yamamoto laughed. "Sounds a little weird, I know. But I don't particularly like it when dangerous people get close to Tsuna." He absently ruffled Tsuna's hair with one hand. "He's the only one I've got, y'know."

"Takeshi." Tsuna said.

"No, it's alright." Reborn hopped off Ietsuna's head, onto the ground a few feet away. "You have good instincts."

"SAWADA!" Tsuna winced, as Ryohei rumbled over, cracking his knuckles. He placed a big hand on Tsuna's shoulder. "Is someone messing with my little brother?" He demanded. Ietsuna's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Now, that's a surprise." The baby murmured to himself.

"_Little brother_?" Ietsuna wanted to know. Tsuna cringed.

"Uh, Ryohei-nii, everything is fine." Tsuna said. "This is just my older brother and father." Ryohei's eyes narrowed.

"The father that hasn't been back in eight years?" Ryohei asked. He glared at Iemitsu, who seemed shocked that someone had said it out loud, especially a loud boxer he did not know. "That's _extremely_ not cool, Sawada-san!" He yelled. "My little brother is an _extremely_ cool guy and he deserves family that cares about him!"

"Tsuna," Ietsuna said slowly. "What's happening? Why are there all these people here?" Tsuna rubbed his neck.

"Um, these are my friends, Nii-san." Tsuna said. "We were playing a game."

"Baseball?" Iemitsu asked. Tsuna shook his head, and Yamamoto laughed out loud. Tsuna did not think it was the time to launch into the finer points of Baseball 2.

"Uh, not baseball, actually. They're here for my birthday."

Ietsuna looked like was about to pass out.

"It's your _birthday_?" He asked, horrified. The realization came to Tsuna that his older brother had forgotten. Ietsuna clasped his hands to his mouth. "Tsu-kun, I-," he cut himself off, looking ashamed. He looked down and shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Tsuna. I didn't even realize what day we were coming back..." Tsuna actually felt bad. He gently touched his brother's arm.

"No, it's okay Nii-san!" He insisted. "It's been a long time. I wouldn't expect you to remember."

"What the _fuck_ is going on here?" Tsuna whipped around to see Hibari, awake and cranky, hair mussed on one side. His eyes were bleary.

Tsuna immediately burst out laughing, covering his mouth with his hands. Hibari glared at him, but the sleep in his eyes made it so _funny_ to Tsuna.

"Hey Hibari, how was your nap?" Hibari knocked Yamamoto in the head. "Ow! It's a good thing my head is so hard, though." Yamamoto gripped Tsuna by the shoulders, pulling him close.

"Nii-san..." Kyoko called out to her brother. "Why don't you let Tsu-kun handle this?" Tsuna shot her a grateful look.

"Alright, but if these guys cause my little brother trouble, I'm going to be _extremely_ angry!" He rumbled off to where Hana, Kyoko, and Gokudera were standing. Tsuna noticed Hana's nails digging into Gokudera's arm, keeping the fiery boy away physically. He was staring daggers at Iemitsu.

"Why is there a _baby_ here?" Hibari demanded.

"Ciaossu. I'm-,"

"I don't care." Hibari interrupted flatly. "Whatever you are, you do not belong here. Certainly not within this _yard_." He glowered at Reborn. So he sensed it _too_, Tsuna realized.

Reborn tilted his hat and smiled.

Hibari pivoted towards Iemitsu and Ietsuna, eyes narrowed. He didn't say anything, but the intensity he projected was unnerving.

"Wait," Tsuna's tongue felt heavy in his mouth. "Why don't we all just...take a seat?" Tsuna suggested, eyes flicking towards the picnic bench outside the house. "Mom should be home soon; she was going to get some groceries for tonight."

"Sounds like a plan, Dame-Tsuna." The tiny voice said, hopping over to the picnic bench. It was so _jarring_ to hear that term again. Tsuna wasn't deeply offended but he just hadn't heard it in so long that he had almost forgotten about it.

"Uh, yeah." His brother and father started to walk over, pausing when they saw Tsuna turning to Hibari. "Uh, just one second." He leaned in. "Kyo, can you keep them away?" Tsuna said, glancing furtively at his friends who had gone from cheerful and laughing to anxious.

"I am not a security guard." Hibari responded, before glancing back at Reborn. "And I do not trust that baby. He is not what he seems to be." Hibari hesitated. "He reminds me of my...uncle."

Hibari had only mentioned Fon once before and had refused to detail the situation, only claiming to intensely dislike the man. Getting information about Hibari's family was like pulling teeth.

But Tsuna _had _gathered, that while Hibari disliked his uncle greatly, the man was in the handful of people Hibari considered to be carnivores, strong opponents.

_If he were to choose to fight me in earnest, I do not know if I would be capable of defeating him_, the skylark had admitted, uneasy at the idea. He _hated_ admitting someone was better than him.

That did not bode well for this tiny figure before them.

Yamamoto slung his arm around Tsuna's shoulder, cheerful and comforting, but also deeply protective.

"I've got him, Hibari. And I _promise_ not to lose my head."

"I should bite your idiot father to death." Hibari snapped. Tsuna shook his head.

"Please, Kyoya." He begged. "Just let me handle this." Hibari made a noise and turned on his heel, storming over to the rowdy group that was being uncharacteristically quiet. Tsuna saw Gokudera open his mouth to speak, brow furrowed, teeth bared. Hibari whacked him in the head before the silver-haired boy could even get a word out.

Tsuna and Yamamoto took their seat across from the rest of his family, who were exchanging glances Tsuna didn't understand. Only Reborn looked serenely calm, though that could have been the fact that his tiny face was almost entirely unreadable.

Yamamoto kept his arm slung around Tsuna's shoulders protectively, a wide smile fixed on his face.

Tsuna was grateful his best friend was here. He really was grateful _all_ his friends were here, knowing he had their support in a second's notice. He hadn't known how he was going to feel when facing his family again for the first time in a while. There was so much that had made him so _angry_. But at the same time, Tsuna had resigned himself to the feeling a long time ago.

What was really odd was that Tsuna _knew_ who the people in front of him were, with the exception of Reborn. And they knew absolutely _nothing_ about Tsuna and his life.

"Tsuna, are you angry with me?" Iemitsu asked, eyes filled with hurt. Tsuna's first instinct was to deny it profusely, but he took a deep breath.

"Yeah, Dad. I am." He shook his head. "We don't need to address it now. But I am." Ietsuna reached across the table, one hand shaking.

"You called that..._guy_...nii-san." He looked upset. "You didn't...miss me?"

"Ryohei-nii?" Tsuna blinked. "He's just been watching out for me for a long time." He reached out quickly to take his brothers hand, processing the rest of his statement. "And of course I missed you!" Tsuna said. "You've just been gone a _really_ long time, Ietsuna. I was in elementary school when you left. And I know we were close when we were young..." It was hard to say what he was going to next. "...but there's a lot I don't really remember." Tsuna admitted. "I'm sorry, nii-san. It makes me sad to say it." Ietsuna looked shaken.

"So what brings you here anyways?" Yamamoto asked, to the trio, but looked at Reborn.

"I-," Ietsuna seemed unsure of what to say. "I'll be transferring to Nami High. I'm coming home." He looked hesitantly at his father. "Dad, maybe we should stay in a hotel or something tonight. I don't want to interrupt Tsu-kun's birthday any more than we already have." From the way Ietsuna was looking back and forth between Reborn and Iemitsu, Tsuna figured that they intended to reveal the truth to him today.

At least Ietsuna seemed genuine, about not wanting to interrupt Tsuna's birthday. It was a relief, that he seemed to actually care for his younger brother still. Tsuna hadn't really known what to expect when this stranger wearing his brother's face walked in.

"I don't know about that." Iemitsu said. He had a strange look on his face.

"_Please_, dad." Ietsuna begged. Reborn tilted his head. Iemitsu looked at Tsuna oddly.

"There's something weird going on." Iemitsu declared. "You refuse to hug me, you're acting strangely. These people...my Tsu-kun would _never_ be friends with them." The accusation in his voice was like being slapped in the face. Tsuna blinked. He felt tears stinging at the back of his eyes, but forced them away.

He didn't think his reunion with his father would end with him being accused of...wrongdoing? He couldn't even pinpoint it.

"What?"

"The Tsuna _I _know, would never be angry with me like this. What happened to you?" The accusation came. Tsuna didn't know what to say. Ietsuna was watching Iemitsu, horrified.

"You know what hotels have? Room service." Reborn suggested, hopping down from the table. "Let's go, Ietsuna. We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Dad-,"  
"Ietsuna, can't you see there's something wrong here?" He demanded. Yamamoto squeezed Tsuna to his chest, feeling the unease.

"Dad-,"

"Stop grabbing my son like that." Iemitsu snapped, his voice building in volume.

"Please leave." Tsuna's voice shook a little when he spoke. "Ietsuna can stay, but _please_ leave."

"What's going on?" Iemitsu demanded. He was rising from his seat, legitimately angry. "What are you keeping from us?"

Tsuna was struck by the irony of that statement.

"Iemitsu." The tiny voice said, but Iemitsu ignored it. He slammed a hand on the table, startling Tsuna.

"_Hey!_" Gokudera ripped away and came barreling across the field, snarling. He slammed a hand down on the table as well, glowering at Iemitsu. "Get the _fuck out_." Iemitsu whipped around, eyes briefly widening in surprise before they narrowed again.

"You're-," Gokudera interrupted him.

"He was so _happy_, before you got here, and now you've turned that to _shit_." Gokudera snarled. "Get _out!_ _You aren't wanted here!_" Iemitsu pulled himself out of his seat and took a step towards the silver-haired teenager, fists clenched.

_Click_.

Yamamoto grabbed Tsuna and yanked him to the side, body covering his.

"You should leave, Stupid Iemitsu. Or die." Reborn shrugged. "Your choice." He was holding a little green gun, pointing it directly at Tsuna's father.

"You're supposed to-," Iemitsu started, but Reborn cocked the gun.

"I'm here for Ietsuna. Nono said nothing about you, Stupid Iemitsu. So we're going to go find a nice hotel and I'm going to get myself an espresso." Reborn turned to Tsuna. "Apologies for this fool. Happy birthday, Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna watched as the tiny hitman bounced up onto Ietsuna's head. Ietsuna glanced back at him apologetically, but hurried out of the gate, Iemitsu trailing behind them. When the gate finally closed, Hibari stalked up to Tsuna, obviously furious.

"If your father threatens you like that again, I will crack his skull." He stated. "He is disrupting the peace. I only refrained because you claimed you would handle it. You did _not_." Tsuna vaguely realized Yamamoto's hand was rubbing circles on his back. He was practically shellshocked.

"I hate him." Tsuna realized. "I think, I genuinely hate him." Yamamoto pressed his head against Tsuna's shoulder.

"No, you don't." He said. "You aren't capable of hate."

"I can't see him." Tsuna said. "I might lose my shit if I see him again." He flicked his eyes over to Gokudera, who was hovering nervously. "Thank you, Hayato." The silver-haired teenager blushed.

"No problem, Tsuna." He shook his head. "I should have hit that motherfucker." Tsuna just sighed, and looked down. He felt a hand tangled in his hair, a calloused palm on the side of his face. He knew it was Hibari.

"Who was that anyways?" Tsuna muttered. "The baby?"

"I don't know." Yamamoto said. "But I don't trust him." Gokudera took a sharp intake of breath.

"That's Reborn. He's...the World's Greatest Hitman."

"I mean, he said as much." Tsuna said, flicking his eyes up. Hibari removed his hand, crossing his arms. Gokudera shook his head.

"No, he's...he _actually_ is. That man has a kill count beyond _belief_. No one, and I mean _no one_ in the mafia world crosses him."

"He said he was here for Ietsuna." Tsuna said. "Do you know what he meant by that?" Gokudera thought for a moment.

"I _did _hear a few years ago of him working with the Cavallone family. He supposedly tutored the current boss, Dino Cavallone, and made him into the most powerful don the family had seen in a long time." Gokudera said. "Maybe that's what he's doing with Ietsuna?"

Tsuna shivered.

"I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing." Tsuna admitted.

"Maybe it isn't either. Maybe it's just a thing." Yamamoto suggested, chin resting on his shoulder.

"Do I...tell them what I know?" Tsuna needed advice.

"That baby will know one way or another." Hibari said. "It is only a matter of time. You did not notice him until he chose to be noticed, even with your powerful intuition. If he wishes to learn something about you, he will." Gokudera nodded in agreement.

"And after that fiasco I'm sure he'll look into you." Tsuna rubbed his eyes.

"I don't know if they'll really _understand_ the situation I'm in, though. And I need them to understand." Tsuna groaned.

"We can see if there are any hits out on you, right?" Yamamoto asked. " As Tamaya-san so _graciously_ provided."

As a result of their little tussle with the yakuza, they now had a direct line of information to the mafia activity in the greater Namimori area. They hadn't heard that Reborn and Ietsuna were coming, but Tsuna was sure Hibari would be rectifying that immediately. The yakuza lived in _constant_ fear of the chairman nowadays.

"And what, show them what we're up against?" Tsuna asked. Yamamoto nodded.

"That's exactly what we'll do."

It wasn't a terrible idea, though Gokudera certainly didn't like it.

"We shouldn't put Tsuna in danger unnecessarily." He argued. Hibari snorted.

"These herbivores are more in danger of _Tsunayoshi_ than he is of them. Especially since we know who they are and when they are coming. They won't step foot in Namimori without us following their every movement."

"We'll talk about it." Tsuna said. "Let's just...continue."

"Are you sure?" Yamamoto asked. "No one will be upset if you don't feel like playing anymore." Tsuna took a deep breath, shaking his head and standing up.

"No, I've wasted too much time on my father already. Let's play."

XXXX

Reborn wanted to beat Iemitsu to death.

Nono hadn't said _explicitly _not to hurt the idiot, but Reborn figured he would be upset.

"What was the purpose of that, Stupid Iemitsu?" He said, riding on the younger Sawada's head. Iemitsu shook his head, face contorted in anger. They were walking away, towards a car down the block that Iemitsu had already arranged to be waiting for them after tapping at his phone for a few seconds.

"That wasn't...that wasn't _my Tsu-kun_." He insisted. "Something must have happened to him."

"Dad." Ietsuna said quietly, and Reborn could tell that the boy was on the verge of tears. "We showed up to his _birthday_, completely _forgot about it_, after literal _years_ of not seeing or speaking to him."

"I'm surprised his friends didn't rip you a new one." Reborn chipped in. "You are not welcome there, it seems."

Reborn's chipper appearance didn't betray his seething frustration.

He was _pissed_.

Every Guardian he had _handpicked_ was clearly bonded to Tsuna already. They looked at him not just with respect, but _adoration_. Their loyalty lay with the youngest Sawada and Reborn didn't think he would be able to chip away at those bonds. Even if he would have been able to before, they had likely been firmly turned against Ietsuna by his idiot father.

_Especially_ that Rain.

Yamamoto Takeshi had not only sensed that there was something far more dangerous about Reborn than meets the eye, but had physically put himself in between Tsuna and Reborn without a moment of hesitation. And again, Reborn had noticed. The way he grabbed Tsuna when Reborn transformed his Leon gun, shielding him.

Even Hibari Kyoya had been protective of Tsuna; perhaps not in the way the others were, but the fact that he had gotten involved, unsolicited, was telling. All of Tsuna's friends had appeared deeply protective of the smaller boy.

Reborn had quickly realized that Iemitsu knew absolutely nothing about his youngest son, and as a result, neither did Reborn.

And he _hated_ that.

"He's just..._different_." Iemitsu shook his head.

"It's been eight _years_ for you, Dad. He grew up, I guess." Ietsuna said. "What are we going to do?"

"We'll tell him tomorrow about you being the future Decimo." Though Reborn's gut feeling told him that Tsuna at the very _least_ knew that there was something unusual going on. Certainly once he had seen Reborn. Who _knew_ what Gokudera Hayato had told him.

Ietsuna hesitated, stopping in his tracks. Iemitsu whirled around to see Ietsuna wringing his hands nervously.

"I don't want to." He said. "I don't want to involve him. We've hurt him enough already." Reborn flicked Ietsuna in the head.

"Stupid Ietsuna, he's going to have to learn one way or another, as long as you're here. It's too late to want to keep him uninvolved." Ietsuna covered his eyes.

"Can't I just protect _one person_?" He begged.

"Keeping him in the dark isn't protecting him." Reborn responded. "I'm sure Dame-Tsuna is stronger than you've given him credit for."

"I don't like this." Iemitsu said, broodingly. "Things...are not going the way I expected."

The idiot had _really_ expected to be welcomed back with open arms. Reborn clicked his tongue and knocked Ietsuna on the head. Ietsuna cringed.

"There's a lesson for you, Stupid Ietsuna. In the mafia, nothing will ever go as planned. Adapt, or die." Reborn could certainly think of another no-good mafioso who could use that lesson. Though Reborn would _never_ refer to Iemitsu as a "no-good student". He wouldn't even refer to Ietsuna that way. He knew his methods could be brutal, but he reserved that term for the students he was _actually_ able to tutor. Students he _actually_ respected.

XXXX

By the way, this is Tsuna's 15th birthday. Ietsuna is two years older than him so he's 17 right now. Tsuna's a little older than in canon so that means when Lambo shows up he'll be 6, not 5.


	11. Chapter 11

So we're kinda-sorta at the start of canon now. Of course, things aren't what they were before, but after we get some more characters onboard, the Rokudo Mukuro storyline will start soon. It won't be the exact same as before, but hopefully still in the spirit of it.

XXXX

By the time Tsuna got home from school, Iemitsu was already gone.

He probably should have expected that.

Honestly, he was just glad he didn't have to see his father's face again. If he went the rest of his life without seeing Iemitsu, it would be fine by him. Though, he knew he wasn't lucky enough for that to happen.

When Tsuna got home, Reborn was sitting at the table, drinking coffee. Nana was busy behind him, preparing dinner. It was odd to see the tiny hitman sitting at the table. So infantile and unassuming, but he was anything but.

"Reborn-san." Tsuna greeted him. Nana turned around, smiling.

"Oh, Tsu-kun! Ietsuna told me that you would head up to see him when you got home!" She seemed happy, like she always was after Iemitsu's visits. She clasped her hands together. "Isn't it so good to have Ietsuna home?"

"Yeah, Mom. Of course."

"I'm sorry you had to miss your father, Tsu-kun, but he said he would be back!" Tsuna's heart hurt for his mother.

"Of course, Mom! I'll be sure to give him a call."

"Let's go meet your brother, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn said, hopping down from the table. He turned to Nana. "Thank you, Mama." Nana smiled wild.

"Of course, Reborn-san!" As they headed up the stairs in silence, Tsuna said,

"I'll put espresso on the grocery list for you." Reborn peered up to Tsuna, bouncing up the stairs next to him. Tsuna had slowed his pace for the tiny hitman, but apparently did not need to, given the speed the hitman was capable of. "I'm assuming you will be here for quite some time, right?" Reborn smiled.

"You were paying attention, Dame-Tsuna." When they got to the top of the stairs, Reborn stopped. "I have plenty of questions." He informed Tsuna. Tsuna blinked back. "But I'll let you hear what Ietsuna has to say first." Tsuna nodded.

"Thank you, Reborn-san."

"You should know," Reborn said slyly. Tsuna turned back to him, and the hitman hopped up onto Tsuna's shoulder. Tsuna jerked away, surprised. Reborn knocked on his head. "I can read minds."

"Um, okay."

They entered Ietsuna's room.

It was bare, having been converted into a guest room long ago. He had taken most of his things when he had left for Italy for the first time, knowing he would be gone for years. It was just a plain, twin bed pushed against the wall. An empty dresser on the opposite wall, and a small desk that hadn't been touched in years. Ietsuna had a few suitcases and a couple of boxes stacked in the corner. The last person to sleep in the room had been Yamamoto, though the baseball player preferred to stay in Tsuna's room. _Especially_ after Tsuna made Yamamoto sleep in the guest room and then they had been attacked.

Ietsuna was sitting in the chair to the desk, cross-legged. He had been scribbling on a piece of paper on the desk, and Tsuna could see he had crossed out several things, though he couldn't read them from across the room. Ietsuna looked uneasy, and when Tsuna came in, a deep sadness passed over his face.

"Tsuna..." He said. "Here, take a seat." He pointed to the bed. Tsuna climbed on, folding his legs. He looked back and forth between Reborn and Ietsuna.

"You have something to tell me?" He said. Ietsuna's lip trembled.

"I'm so sorry, Tsu-kun-," He cut himself off. "Tsuna. I don't imagine you like being called Tsu-kun all that much anymore." His eyes were downcast. Even though it was his brother and his father who had put him in danger in the first place, Tsuna still felt guilty. And he didn't really mind being called _Tsu-kun_ that much. His mother and Kyoko called him that. Yamamoto did sometimes too, when he wanted to tease Tsuna.

"It's okay, nii-san. You can still call me Tsu-kun, if you want." He said. Ietsuna looked guiltier than ever.

"I wish you wouldn't be so nice to me, Tsuna. I don't deserve it." He shook his head. "I need to tell you why I left for Italy. And why I'm back."

And then it all spilled out. What Vongola was. Who _Ietsuna_ was. And how he was being groomed to be Decimo. Tsuna had known a lot of it already, or at least theorized about it, but there were still some details he didn't know that Ietsuna filled in.

But plenty of questions.

Ietsuna didn't really make it clear what had _happened_ to make him come back to Japan. He had said that a friend of his had been killed, but Tsuna got the feeling there was so much more, or at least that this blow had cut so deep that there was no way Ietsuna could ever begin to explain what had happened to him.

"I'm sorry, nii-san." Tsuna reached out to touch his brother's hand. Ietsuna looked miserable. "I can't say I understand exactly what you're going through, but I can see how it hurt you."

Ietsuna didn't even _mention_ the flames.

Tsuna was sure that Ietsuna had some awareness of this supernatural power the Vongola supposedly wielded, but he hadn't said anything so far.

Though, Tsuna was getting the feeling that his brother didn't have a lot of combat experience.

It was just a feeling; obviously, Ietsuna wasn't going to go into play-by-play details about _everything_. Maybe there was just more that he wasn't telling Tsuna. But coming from someone who had killed a man when he was 12, it didn't seem to Tsuna like his older brother was as suited to the mafia life as he would have thought. For someone chosen to succeed the largest crime family in the world.

And it was going to be a problem, because Namimori was more dangerous than Ietsuna realized. Tsuna could handle it no problem; now, with a direct line of mafia intel, Hibari had cracked down not just on the mafiosos coming after Tsuna, but all criminal activity in the area. Since getting into high school, instead of relinquishing the DC, Hibari had expanded it. He ran what was essentially a _gang_ (though Tsuna would never use those words to Hibari's face) that not only spanned Nami Middle and Nami High, but the entire town. He had an iron grip on Namimori, but that didn't mean a skilled hitman couldn't slip through his grasp long enough to find the Sawada brothers. Hibari had full confidence in _Tsuna_'s ability to protect himself, but Tsuna didn't have confidence in Ietsuna's.

"Do you see why...I felt like I couldn't tell you?" Ietsuna said. "I didn't want you to get involved. You were always so sweet and gentle. I didn't want you to go through this."

_Oh, the irony_.

"Ietsuna...I'm not a little kid anymore." Tsuna confessed. "I understand why you did this. But you couldn't keep me oblivious forever." Ietsuna nodded.

"So, Dame-Tsuna. You're taking all of this extremely well." Reborn commented, a glint in his eyes and plenty of implications in his voice. "Given you have the future Decimo sitting in front of you." Tsuna scratched his head.

"Uh...I suspected something was wrong for...a _while_. I thought Dad was involved in something criminal for a long time." He confessed. "You know, working in construction. Always sending us those ridiculous postcards. He was definitely _lying_, and I couldn't think of another reason for him to lie like that."

"Postcards?" Ietsuna asked, blinking.

"You know? The ones from the North Pole and stuff?" Ietsuna's jaw dropped open. Reborn pivoted to the older Sawada.

"Your father is debilitatingly stupid." He informed him, before turning back to Tsuna. He plopped down on the bed. "Continue."

"And...you know...when Hayato came along, I kind of got a clearer idea. I didn't really suspect you were involved until Hayato told me about mafia families. It was just a theory, but it explained a lot." Tsuna said.

"Until Hayato came along?" Ietsuna was definitely confused, though Reborn was following perfectly.

"Gokudera Hayato, also known as Smokin' Bomb Hayato. He was one of the best young hitmen in Italy until he suddenly left and came to Japan." Reborn informed Ietsuna. "Pay more attention, Ietsuna." He jumped onto Ietsuna's head, flicking him. "He's the one who screamed at your stupid father yesterday." Ietsuna was _shocked_.

"You're friends with a _hitman_?" he demanded to know.

"Former hitman." Tsuna admitted. Ietsuna didn't like that at _all_.

"And I bet Gokudera told you a _lot_ more than you're saying, didn't he, Dame-Tsuna?" Reborn's sing-songy voice was filled with mischief. Ietsuna's eyes were the size of dinner plates.

"Tsuna?"

"You'll see, I promise. You'll see..." He checked the text on his phone from Hibari, the one that informed him of the movements of some mafiosos who had entered the country in Tokyo, and appeared to be making their way to Namimori. "Tomorrow, I believe. I don't want you to think I'm keeping secrets, nii-san. I just haven't really had to...explain myself in a long time. I think you'll understand better when you see what I have to show you." Tsuna admitted.  
"I'm...confused." Ietsuna confessed. "But I trust you, Tsu-kun. And I'm going to protect you from this..._life_." He promised, eyes getting a steely look. "No matter what, I'll _protect you_."

Tsuna didn't really..._want_ Ietsuna to protect him. In fact, Tsuna would say he had enough people who already wanted to protect him.

And more importantly, Tsuna had learned how to protect _himself_.

He didn't really know how to say, _no thanks, I'm good,_ though.

His face must have betrayed him though, because Ietsuna tilted his head, confused and Reborn _laughed_. The tiny hitman tilted his hat.

"I've never seen someone make _that_ face after being offered protection from the future don of the most powerful mafia family in the world." Reborn said. "You're full of surprises though, Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna got the feeling that Reborn just wanted to see this play out; that the tiny hitman _liked_ a little bit of chaos.

XXXX

Tsuna had promised to meet his older brother after school, promising he was going to show him what he was talking about. Hibari had tracked two mafiosos to Namimori, and determined they were following Tsuna. Tsuna figured they would attack when the moment became opportune.

So Yamamoto and Tsuna were going to bait them into attacking. The DC was ready to go at any moment, of course. To take them in. Hibari had said that nothing about these two mafiosos indicated they were above average strength "_or intelligence."_

Tsuna could hear his boyfriend's dry voice in his head.

Tsuna didn't _want_ to scare his brother, but he needed him to understand what had been happening in Namimori, and he didn't think Ietsuna would until he saw. Besides, Tsuna was certain that him and Yamamoto could handle it no problem. He _had_ asked Hibari though, but the skylark scoffed at him.

"Why would I waste my time on weaklings?" Hibari snapped. "You are perfectly capable of handling these two yourself. The baseball omnivore is likely overkill." Tsuna had rolled his eyes.

"You don't wanna beat up some herbivores?" Hibari rolled his eyes.

"I have too much work to waste time biting these weak herbivores to death. You will be fine."

"Oh, how romantic." Tsuna had said sarcastically. Hibari snorted.

"Tsuna?" Iemitsu asked, when he saw Tsuna and Yamamoto waiting for him outside the gate to Nami High. Reborn was standing at the post next to the gate, having been there before any of them arrived. "Where are we going?"

"How about TakeSushi?" Yamamoto suggested. "We can always just take the long route."

"Sounds good." Tsuna said. "Here, follow us."

"I thought you were going to show me something?" Ietsuna asked, confused. He looked better than he had when he first got to Namimori, almost like a little bit of color had come back into his face.

Honestly, Tsuna was amazed by how little him and Ietsuna looked alike. Ietsuna was tall and lean, with short blonde hair. It was messy, but not in the way Tsuna's was. He looked more like their father.

"Yeah, we will. Just come on with us." Tsuna said. Reborn hopped onto Ietsuna's shoulder, flicking him in the head.

"You should be on guard, Ietsuna." Reborn informed the boy.

"Why?" Ietsuna asked. Reborn shrugged.

"You're the future Decimo." That was the only explanation he would give Ietsuna. Tsuna felt like Reborn _definitely_ knew they were being followed by two idiots with guns, but that the tiny hitman didn't feel a need to stop it.

Tsuna and Yamamoto led the older boy along, chatting idly. Yamamoto had slung his arm around Tsuna, like usual.

"You two are an interesting pair." Reborn commented. Yamamoto tugged on Tsuna's ear. Tsuna slapped his hand.

"Oh yeah, I'm like his boyfriend." Yamamoto joked. The baseball player loved a joke that he knew only _Tsuna_ would understand was funny.

"Except we don't make out." Tsuna responded. Yamamoto laughed.

"Not _yet,_ anyways."

"We're joking." Tsuna promised his brother, who was looking at them warily.

"How did you two become friends, anyways?" Tsuna hesitated to answer Ietsuna's question. Yamamoto's history was no one else's business, in his opinion. If the baseball player felt comfortable sharing, then that was fine by Tsuna, but only if that was Yamamoto's choice. Ietsuna seemed to notice Tsuna's hesitation. "Is this a sensitive subject?"

Yamamoto grinned back.

"Oh, no. I don't mind answering. Tuna-chan here just worries about me." He squeezed Tsuna's shoulders. "Tsuna talked me out of killing myself." Yamamoto said cheerfully. Ietsuna's face dropped, and he started stammering. He obviously didn't know what to say.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Yamamoto shrugged.

"Don't be! It wasn't what I really wanted and Tsuna helped me see that. Besides, it led me to Tsuna and that's really all I care about now." He bumped his head against Tsuna. Tsuna shivered at the memory of that rooftop and Yamamoto drummed his fingers against the scar on Tsuna's shoulder. "Your brother's a pretty cool guy, Ietsuna." Ietsuna was flushed red. He flicked his eyes towards Tsuna.

"Yeah, he seems like it."

As they continued to walk along, Tsuna suddenly stopped in his tracks. Yamamoto turned to the shorter boy.

"Hm, it must be about time." He commented absently. He reached up to pull his bamboo sword out of his bag. Ietsuna froze.

"What's going on?" Reborn was watching Tsuna intently.

"Um, just stay behind us, nii-san." Tsuna said honestly. "Everything will be fine." His older brother's face was twisted with worry.

"What are you talking about?" His eyes flicked up to the figure riding on his head. "Reborn? What's going on?" Reborn clicked his tongue.

"Can't you tell, Stupid Ietsuna? Your brother certainly can. There's been someone following us."

"_What_?" Ietsuna's eyes widened. "Reborn, you have to shoo-,"

"Don't worry about a thing!" Yamamoto interrupted, waving his hand cheerfully. Two figures had appeared at the end of the street, dressed in black suits. Tsuna did not get the impression they were particularly strong. They hadn't even pulled their weapons yet, so the smaller boy was certain they had no idea what they were up against.

Yamamoto gave Tsuna's older brother a thumbs up.

"This'll be a piece of cake." He promised, before turning around, stance widening.

The two figures approached, one of them smoking a cigarette. As he got closer, he dropped it in the dirt and ground it out with his foot dramatically. Tsuna could have _groaned_. These people _loved_ to be dramatic.

"It'll go easier for you kids if you just surrender." One of them insisted. The other laughed.

"Just put down the toy sw-," Tsuna blinked, glancing towards Yamamoto. Yamamoto grinned back.

He wound up with his bamboo sword, like he was stepping up to the pitch and cracked the mafioso over the head with it like he was swinging a bat. The man's head snapped to the side, blood and teeth flying from his mouth as he fell to the dirt, unconscious before he hit the ground. Ietsuna yelped behind them.

"_What the fuck!"_ The other one staggered backwards, hand going for his gun. Tsuna twisted and nailed the hitman in the side of the knee with his steel-toed boot. He wasn't in the DC anymore, but he kept the boots. Hibari had the right idea with those.

Tsuna watched the joint snap to the other side of the knee and the hitman fell to one knee, screaming. Tsuna cracked the man in the jaw with his elbow, once he was at the perfect height and the hitman keeled over.

And it was over, just like that.

That had been underwhelming.

Tsuna turned to Yamamoto, who was still grinning, bamboo sword settled over his shoulder. Together, they faced Ietsuna and Reborn. Tsuna spotted Hibari, leaning against a telephone poll behind them, arms crossed. That _liar_.

"T-tsuna?" Ietsuna's face had dropped.

"Man, some of them really love to monologue, huh?" Yamamoto commented. "I mean, makes our job easier." Hibari had _beaten_ into Tsuna that you _never_ waited to attack. That if your opponent was stupid enough to wait, you should take advantage of that.

"That was what I wanted to show you, nii-san." Tsuna said, scratching his head. "The reason I knew something was wrong is because...well, people have been trying to kill me for a while now." There was really no other way to put it. "Some have gotten closer than others." Ietsuna looked like he was going to throw up. "I know you want to protect me, nii-san. But it's...it's a little too late for that. I had to figure out how to protect myself. So I did."

"They're after you...because of _me_?" Ietsuna whispered.

"And Dad." Tsuna admitted.

"Hibari trained you." Reborn stated. Tsuna nodded.

"And speaking of which..." he muttered. He stood on his tip-toes to better see his boyfriend. "You can come over, you _liar_." Ietsuna whipped around, but Reborn was unfazed. He had clearly already known Hibari was there.

The skylark strolled over, looking smug.

"Tsunayoshi." He said. "I am not a _liar_."

"You said you weren't coming!" Tsuna put his hands on his hips indignantly.

"I said I would not _participate_, not that I would not come at all." He corrected Tsuna. Tsuna rolled his eyes.

"What did you come for? Kusakabe's already on his way."

"I like to watch you fight." Hibari smirked back. Tsuna flipped him off.

"What's poppin', Hibari?" Yamamoto asked, placing his sword back on his back. "Enjoy the show, then?" Hibari shrugged.

"It was underwhelming."

"Aw, you're so sweet." Yamamoto blew a kiss to Hibari. Tsuna shook his head, and turned back around to the mafiosos lying unconscious on the ground. He bent over the one he had knocked out to fish his gun out of his jacket.

"Are you sure you two aren't dating?" Tsuna teased. He popped the clip out of the gun and racked it, to make sure there was nothing in the chamber. It was good he checked; there had been.

"Tsuna!" Ietsuna exclaimed. "You...know how to use a gun?" Tsuna shook his head.

"Uh, no. I mean, generally I know you're supposed to pull the trigger and all. I just know how to disarm one." Tsuna said. He scratched the back of his head. "It would be kind of dumb to have one go off on accident." Hibari was not a fan of guns whatsoever, claiming they were an _herbivore's weapon_. But he had showed Tsuna what to do when one came into his possession. And Tsuna agreed; it would be monumentally stupid to defeat an opponent and get shot on accident when he tried to disarm them.

That day of training had startled him though; Hibari had just slapped a gun on the desk of his office, sending Tsuna tipping over in his chair in shock.

He tossed the gun to Hibari, who caught it with ease, before getting the other one.

"I..." Ietsuna looked shaken. "I don't know what to say. I'm so fucking sorry, Tsuna." He looked like he was about to cry. "I thought we were protecting you. And you...you could have _died_."

"Oh, like _so_ many times." Yamamoto chirped. Tsuna hit him on the arm. Yamamoto just laughed and ruffled Tsuna's hair.

"Nii-san, it's not really _you_ that I'm angry with." Tsuna said.

"It's your idiot herbivore father." Hibari said blithely. His eyes narrowed as he towered over Ietsuna threateningly. "If he is dumb enough to step foot in Namimori again, I _will_ bite him to death for all the disruptions of the peace he has caused." He grinned darkly, an expression that was full of teeth and malice. "And I am certain that he is dumb enough."

"How have you not been arrested?" Ietsuna shrieked, terrified. He was older than Hibari, but still intimidated by him. But even Tsuna had to admit his boyfriend cut a frightening figure.

"Oh yeah, Hibari's off his rocker, for sure." Yamamoto said. "Hey, Tsuna, do you remember that time he cracked Nezu's skull?" Tsuna winced.

"Nezu?" Ietsuna asked. Hibari flicked his hand dismissively.

"A stupid herbivore who thought he could alter his student's grades and get away with it." Tsuna watched as the realization hit his older brother.

"_A teacher_?" He shrieked.

"Stupid Ietsuna, Hibari controls Namimori." Reborn said. He bounced off Ietsuna's head, to approach Tsuna. "And besides, what your brother is trying to say is that he doesn't need your protection." Tsuna nodded.

"Yes, nii-san. I can protect myself. You don't have to worry about me." Tsuna insisted.

"Though, to be clear, these two herbivores were idiots and your brother can handle plenty worse." Hibari said. He walked over to the unconscious forms, nudging one of them with his foot.

"Cannon fodder at best, really." Yamamoto said, stretching his arms and folding them behind his head.

"You're a lot of fun, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn said. "Would you mind participating in your stupid brother's training sometime?" Tsuna was uneasy.

"Oh, I don't know about that..." Reborn shrugged.

"Too late; I already decided." He bounced away.

"Why'd you even ask?!" Tsuna balked. Reborn grinned back.

XXXX

Reborn would allow a certain level of shenanigans.

In fact, he even _enjoyed_ a certain level of shenanigans. Most levels, really. And he trusted Tsuna. Or at least, trusted the smaller boy to want the best for his older brother.

So when the crying cow child came rocketing through the window, he allowed it. He even allowed Tsuna to keep the six year old, despite Ietsuna's protests about having a "hitman" in the house. Reborn had actually laughed at Ietsuna's protests. When the child started throwing grenades, Ietsuna had decided the child was dangerous and needed to go. Tsuna, who had been frightened by the explosion, forcibly confiscated them, but gathered the tiny child in his arms and gave him a stern talking-to. The screaming cow child attached himself to Tsuna immediately, declaring Tsuna his big brother and staring up at him with big eyes filled with adoration. Tsuna had added grape candy to the grocery list ten minutes after meeting him.

And when the crying cow child pulled the ten-year-bazooka out of his impossibly large afro and Reborn witnessed the lightning impervious teenager hug Tsuna so tightly his eyes _popped?_

Reborn was irritated _again_.

It was clear that Lambo would have made an excellent Lightning Guardian one day. If Ietsuna had _hugged _the stupid cow he would have gotten his Lightning Guardian.

And then I-Pin came and Tsuna adopted another child. He had no need for her; but Ietsuna certainly did. She could have one day been a Storm or Sun Guardian for Ietsuna one day, but was now permanently bonded to Tsuna.

Reborn hated to say it, but Ietsuna's deep distrust of every potential recruit was hurting him. That distrust could one day protect Ietsuna's life; but what Ietsuna needed most were allies in the meantime.

And his strongest ally at that point was his brother, who seemed to have earned the loyalty of every idiot with an ounce of combat ability in a 10 mile radius. Reborn was going to _beat_ into Ietsuna to maintain that relationship with his brother, or else the future Decimo would be shit out of luck.

Reborn knew that his tutoring wasn't really benefitting Ietsuna; he could make him run laps, hit him with a Leon hammer, quiz him on mafia history all day long. But his student didn't even want to _be_ Decimo. Reborn had even suggested idly that if Ietsuna didn't step it up, he would recruit Tsuna, hoping that would light a fire under Ietsuna's ass. And for a short while, it did. But with every fight, every attack, every bullet fired or grenade thrown, he watched Ietsuna become more and more disillusioned. More resigned. On the surface, Ietsuna was a nice, popular kid. He was strong, he was fast, he had some modicum of leadership capabilities. But he didn't have what it _took_ to be Decimo in Reborn's opinion.

But Reborn thought Tsuna _did_.

Yes, he had a soft, fluffy exterior. He loved and coddled those kids. He adored his friends. He even seemed determined to take care of his older brother, as much as Ietsuna would allow him to. But inside, there was a core of steel, a hardness that made Tsuna a formidable opponent. A drive that pushed him to learn how to defend himself, how to defend his friends, and how to take down an enemy that was threatening him. Reborn was certain that even if those attempts on Tsuna's life hadn't taken place and Tsuna hadn't been driven to learn to protect himself earlier, that that core of steel would still be there. That maybe it would need more coaxing from someone like Reborn, but that it would be drawn out one day, in any universe Sawada Tsunayoshi lived in.

Sawada Tsunayoshi had what it took to be Decimo.

And Reborn desperately wanted that fluffy-haired idiot to be _his_ No-Good student.

Tormenting the timid boy would be _fun_, instead of tedious, like it was with Ietsuna.

Dame-Tsuna was a Sky, through and through. All encompassing, all accepting, with a capability for love and leadership Reborn hadn't even seen in a young Nono.

But he didn't have any flames.

He had the looks, he had the leadership, he even seemed to have the _fucking Vongola Hyper Intuition_, a power no previous Vongola boss since Primo had _before_ they received their inheritance.

But no flames.

According to Iemitsu.

And Reborn didn't trust Iemitsu as far as he could throw him.

Reborn had written three letters to Nono at this point, begging him to allow Reborn to give the youngest son at least a modicum of training to use his flames. Reborn was certain he could draw out Tsuna's flames. That just because they hadn't shown when he was a child, didn't mean that they didn't exist.

No response yet.

Reborn was pretty sure that stupid Iemitsu was intercepting them, slowing the process of decrypting them for Nono as much as he possibly good. Iemitsu got to pull all the bureaucratic strings he wanted, but those letters would get there, eventually.

For _crying out loud_, Dame-Tsuna was dating _Hibari Kyoya_, the untouchable, unknowable Cloud that was known to crack the skull of any idiot who looked at him wrong. If he could touch the heart of that psychotic skylark, he could certainly manage the difficult personalities in the mafia world.

Though, Reborn was pretty certain Ietsuna still had no idea the kind of relationship his little brother had with the DC chairman. Reborn hadn't told him; he thought it would be funnier to watch him find out.

XXXX

"SAWADA!" Ryohei shouted, banging on Tsuna's front door. Tsuna winced at the volume, but Gokudera shouted back.

"Oi! TURF TOP!" Gokudera stormed over to the door. Tsuna turned the heat down on the stove and followed. "We're right here!" Gokudera hissed, flinging the door open. Ryohei immediately bustled into Tsuna's house.

"Little brother! I heard Yamamoto is sick with the flu?" Tsuna nodded.

"We're making chicken soup." Tsuna explained. "I thought we could take it to him later." Yamamoto had been out of school and not doing too hot. When Tsuna had called him in the morning, he had sounded terrible and the baseball player had claimed, with slurred speech, that his brain hurt.

Ryohei nodded back.

"That's extremely cool, Sawada! Can I help you?" Gokudera made a noise.

"You? In the kitchen? That would be a nightmare!" Tsuna didn't disagree with Gokudera. Ryohei was the very definition of a bull in a china shop.

Ryohei pumped the air in response.

"But I can provide moral support!" He said confidently.

"Of course you can help, Ryohei." Tsuna smiled softly. Gokudera made a face, but they returned to the kitchen nonetheless. It really was mostly Tsuna making the soup, with Gokudera working on homework with him. Honestly, he didn't want either of them near the stove.

Gokudera had told Tsuna about Bianchi, his older sister, and her talent for Poison Cooking. Gokudera admitted he himself was not much of a chef, but that Bianchi's deadly talent had appeared somewhat randomly.

Tsuna had not allowed Gokudera to touch an ingredient since. Not that Gokudera seemed to mine; he seemed traumatized from consuming the early stages of the poisonous fare too many times.

However, Ryohei could chop ingredients, given enough space. Tsuna set him up with some carrots, onions, and celery and cleared the area around him as Ryohei chopped with full enthusiasm.

It was intense and loud.

A tiny piece of carrot flew to hit Gokudera in the face and the silver-haired boy's face contorted in rage. Tsuna bit back a laugh.

"Watch what you're doing!" Gokudera snapped.

"Sorry, octopus-head!" The two of them were wildly entertaining.

There were footsteps on the stairs, tiny and pattering, and then a series of thuds. Lambo landed at the bottom, blinking and looking around, confused. His lip started trembling.

Don't freak out, Tsuna had instructed his friends after the first few times Lambo had a meltdown. Lambo slammed his tiny fists on the ground.

"Tol-er-ate." Tsuna heard him mutter to himself. Tsuna smiled at him.

"Are you okay, Lambo-kun?" He asked calmly, resisting the urge to sweep Lambo up in his arms and kiss his tiny head. If he did that, Lambo would only start crying. Lambo nodded, tearful. "We're making chicken soup, Lambo-kun. Do you want some when it's finished?" Tsuna asked. Lambo nodded, getting to his feet and pattering over. He latched onto Tsuna's leg.

"Tsuna-nii!" He cries out. "Play with me!"

"Does your head hurt?" Tsuna asked. Lambo considered it.

"Yes!"

"Let's get you an ice pack, first." Tsuna suggested. "And maybe Hayato will play with you after." Gokudera flushed red. Lambo turned around to glare at Gokudera.

"I don't wanna play with Ahodera!" He cried out. Gokudera jerked up.

"You little-!" Thankfully, he cut himself off.

"That wasn't very nice, Lambo-kun." Tsuna scolded him.

"I don't care!"

"Then no one will play with you. Is that what you want?" Tsuna asked the tiny cow. Lambo turned and started running to Ryohei, who was chopping vegetables with an unrivaled intensity. Lambo started beating on Ryohei's leg.

"Play with me, turf top!" He cried out. Ryohei paused his chopping to look at the tiny cow child. He beamed down, not seeing Tsuna frantically shaking his head at him.

"Of course, little dude!" Lambo cheered and stuck his tongue out at Gokudera. Tsuna sighed.

"Ryohei-nii, can you get him an ice pack first?"

Ten minutes later, Ryohei was chasing Lambo around the house, both screaming. Finally Gokudera got up and got involved. Before long, the house was being rattled with small explosions.

"Get rid of those grenades!" And then the sound of a raspberry being blown.

"Make me, Ahodera!"

Lambo was a little nightmare child.

"No damage to the house!" Tsuna shouted, but he was certain the floor was already scorched.

At that moment, the door to the house was flung open and Lambo would have ran headfirst into it, but Gokudera spring forward and snatched him off the ground. Lambo cried out and started pulling on the silver-haired teenager's hair. The transfer student roared in anger.

"I saved you, you freaky little cow!"

"Tsuna-nii! Gokudera's being mean!" Lambo complained.

Ietsuna stormed in, Reborn bouncing after him. He was sporting a black eye. Tsuna winced.

"Ietsuna-nii, what happened?" He asked, worriedly.

"Hibari." Ietsuna spat out. Tsuna felt oddly guilty. He opened the freezer. "Where's the ice pack?"

Gokudera pried it away from Lambo and tossed it to Ietsuna. Ietsuna touched it and sighed.

"It's warm." Tsuna hustled over time the freezer and grabbed out a pack of frozen food, offering it to Ietsuna.

"I'm sorry, nii-san. I know what it's like." Ietsuna blinked.

"He trained your brother, Stupid Ietsuna." Came Reborn's cutesy voice as he jumped up onto the table. Ietsuna scratched his head.

"How did that even work?" He wanted to know. Tsuna winced.

"Oh, I got hit. A lot." He leaned in to examine Ietsuna's face. "What happened?"

"Stupid Ietsuna was in a classroom he wasn't supposed to be in." Ietsuna flushed in anger.

"Reborn tricked me into it!" Tsuna could believe that.

"Me?" Reborn asked innocently. "I would never."

"That guy is crazy." Ietsuna muttered. "Who beats someone for breaking school rules?"

"And Stupid Ietsuna wouldn't fight back." Reborn informed Tsuna.

"I tried!"

"Not hard enough." Reborn said. "If you're gonna be a mafia boss, you need to fight better."

"Maybe you should actually teach me, instead of just putting me in shitty situations! Maybe I would be fighting better if you were a better tutor!" Ietsuna snapped, nursing his black eye. Reborn tilted his head and Tsuna knew without a doubt something bad was about to happen.

Leon climbed down Reborn's arm, transforming into a green handgun.

"You should be nicer. Die, Ietsuna."

And then he shot him in the head

Tsuna screamed, as his brother's head snapped back. He fell backwards, shaking.

I didn't save him I didn't save him I-

Tsuna was about to activate his own flames and attack when something strange started to happen.

A strange light started to emanate from Ietsuna's form and then there was a loud tearing noise.

Before all his clothes shredded off his body.

"REBOOOOORN!" Ietsuna screamed as he rose up from the chair. A flame lit up on his forehead, and Ietsuna's eyes began to glow. They didn't look like Tsuna's had, but then again, Tsuna's clothes with the exception of his boxers hadn't burst off his body. Tsuna exchanged glances with Gokudera, who looked equally bewildered.

"What. The fuck?"

"Tsuna-nii used a bad word!" Lambo cried gleefully.

"Why is Sawada naked?" Ryohei exclaimed. "That's extremely inappropriate!" Tsuna would have to agree.

"I shot him with a Dying Will Bullet." Reborn informed them. "It removes external limiters for a few minutes and allows you to become incredibly strong in order to fulfill your Dying Will."

"What if you don't have a dying will?" Gokudera demanded you know. Reborn shrugged.

"Then you die." Tsuna paled.

"What's his dying will then?" Ryohei wondered out loud.

"I'll beat up Sawada Iemitsu with my Dying Will!" Ietsuna roared.

"Huh." Reborn said. "I would have expected it to be Hibari Kyoya."

"Thank God it's not." Tsuna said with a sigh of relief. Hibari would kick his brother's ass six ways to Sunday. "How long did you say this lasts?"

"Maybe five minutes."

"And I'm assuming our dad isn't even on this continent?" Ietsuna was on his feet and started running. Tsuna cringed as he heard him crunch through the door frame.

"So he won't get very far then." Reborn said cheerfully. "Do you have any coffee around here?"

"Reborn!" Tsuna shouted, pulling on his shoes and turning the heat down on the soup. He sprinted out of the door, after his brother. Gokudera and Ryohei followed.

They were all panting as they chased Ietsuna down the street. He was kicking up dust as he ran.

"Is he trying to run to Italy?" Tsuna panted out.

"How are we supposed to catch him?" Gokudera still had a grip on Lambo, who he tucked under his arm like a football as he ran. Their eyes both went to Ryohei

"I've got this, SAWADA!" He punched the air, roared, and took off down the street.

"Did I look anything like that?" Tsuna asked Gokudera as they slowed. Gokudera shook his head, looking aghast.

"Oh God, no."

They watched, shocked, as Ryohei started to glow yellow as he chased down Ietsuna. He leapt forward, tackling Ietsuna into the dirt.

"That's incredible." Tsuna said.

"Turf top has stamina." Gokudera agreed.

"Better hope Hibari doesn't catch him like this in the street." A tiny voice behind them said. Tsuna whirled around, shouting in surprise.

"Reborn!" He shrieked.

"Why would Hibari show up?" Gokudera asked, eyes narrowing.

"Because I texted him from Dame-Tsuna's phone. You should really put a lock on that. It's not befitting of the boss's brother at all."

"You don't have a lock on your phone?" Gokudera asked. Tsuna flushed.

"That's not what's important right now!"

"No," Reborn agreed. "That is." He pointed down the street, where Hibari was stalking towards Ryohei and Ietsuna, looking furious. They were tussling in the dirt, Ryohei attempting to hold the struggling boy down.

"Shit."

"Tsuna-nii said another bad word!" Lambo explained wriggling out from under Gokudera's arm and running down the street, yelling. They both took off after him.

When they got there, Hibari was about to knock Ryohei out of the way and bite Ietsuna to death, when Lambo hopped up onto Ryohei's back, begging for Ryohei to stop playing with Ietsuna so he could play with Lambo. Hibari's tonfa froze mid-air. He sighed, and plucked Lambo off of Ryohei by the scruff of his neck.

Lambo yelled and kicked his feet, blowing raspberries at Hibari. The skylark cocked an eyebrow and examined the screaming boy.

"I believe this cow child belongs to you, Tsunayoshi." He held out Lambo, who was still complaining. Tsuna flushed.

"Sorry, Kyoya." He took Lambo, who struggled in his arms. "Hush, Lambo. I'll play with you after." Hibari nodded, turned, and sent Ryohei flying off Ietsuna.

"Kyoya-," Hibari hauled Ietsuna up by the throat, carefully studying the flame on his head.

Just as it fizzled out.

"For public indecency, I'll bite you to death." Ietsuna blinked.

"Huh?" Hibari punched him in the face. Tsuna winced, his arms full of a whining child as Hibari kicked his brother's ass. As an afterthought, Tsuna covered Lambo's eyes.

"Tsuna-nii, I want to see!"

When Hibari finished, Ietsuna groaning on the ground, he pivoted to Tsuna.

"Why did you text me?" He demanded.

"I didn't!" Tsuna insisted. "Reborn texted you from my phone so that you would fight with Ietsuna."

"Do you not have a lock on your phone?" Hibari asked incredulously. Tsuna flushed.

"I know, I know!"

"He wasn't very good at this." Hibari commented, looking disdainfully at Ietsuna, before flicking his eyes back to Tsuna. "I will see you later, Tsunayoshi."

"Wait, what?" Tsuna blinked. "That's it?" Hibari rolled his eyes.

"What else could you possibly need me for?" Tsuna didn't have an answer.

"We're making chicken soup for Takeshi." Tsuna said. "You could stay and join us. There will be plenty left over when we're done."

"Does that sound like something I would enjoy?" Hibari asked.

"You would enjoy chicken soup." Tsuna insisted. Hibari almost smiled. "Fine, I'll just drop by with some soup."

"Your insistence on feeding me is unnecessary."

"Oh, you like it." Hibari paused, before the corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. It was uncharacteristic, but sweet. He poked Tsuna's fluffy hair.

"You are an excellent cook." Hibari flicked his eyes down to Lambo briefly; if it weren't for the child in Tsuna's arms he was certain Hibari would have leaned in for a quick peck on the lips. But unfortunately, Lambo was still squirming in Tsuna's arms. "Put a lock on your phone, Tsunayoshi." Hibari walked away.

When he had left, Tsuna peered down at Ietsuna, who was groaning on the ground still, mostly naked.

"Can you ask Hibari to go easy on me?" Ietsuna huffed, clearly pained. Tsuna winced.

"Sorry, nii-san. I could ask, but he would just say no." He held out a hand to his brother, pulling him to his feet. Ietsuna was bruised and battered, but mostly looked humiliated. He glared at Reborn, who was on Gokudera's shoulder. Tsuna was beginning to realize how upset his brother actually was.

"Really, Reborn?"

"I noticed in your training that you got to skip the Dying Will Bullets. I thought I would rectify that. It builds character, you know."

"You thought shooting me in the head after what happened to Na-," Ietsuna shook his head. "I-I need to be alone." He walked back towards the house, rubbing his shoulders. He looked so...small. And sad.

Tsuna took a step towards Ietsuna.

"I wouldn't, Dame-Tsuna. He'll never get stronger if you coddle him." Tsuna shot Reborn a look and took off after Ietsuna. When he caught up with him, he gently touched Ietsuna's shoulder. His brother refused to look at him.

"Nii-san, what's wrong?" Ietsuna bit his lip, shaking his head.

"I don't really wanna talk about it, Tsuna."

"Okay." Tsuna said quietly. "Would you like some chicken soup?" Ietsuna looked at Tsuna, startled. "After we get you cleaned up, of course." Tsuna added softly.

"You're better than I deserve, Tsuna."

XXXX

"So they're called Dying Will Flames, huh?" Yamamoto croaked from his bed. He was sweaty and pale, curled up under the covers. Tsuna was sitting by his bed, helping him spoon soup into his mouth.

"Takeshi, don't worry about it." Tsuna said, worriedly. "You're sick. All you have to do is get better." Yamamoto offered Tsuna a small smile.

"It's so interesting though." Tsuna forced another spoonful of soup into Yamamoto's mouth. "This is really good, Tsuna."

"Thank you. You need to rest." Tsuna grabbed a cool washcloth sitting on the nightstand and gently dabbed Yamamoto's forehead. Yamamoto closed his eyes.

"You're really good at this, Tsuna. How come you're so good to me?"

"That's because I love you." Tsuna said. "Though, I admit, I'm going to drop some soup off for Kyoya."

"At his house?" Yamamoto asked curiously.

"More like mansion." Tsuna confessed. "I've never been inside, though. Just to the estate itself and on one of those padded bench swings outside." Tsuna had dropped things off and picked things up from the Hibari family butler. It seemed like Hibari was never home, except on a rare few occasions. Hibari just preferred to show up at Tsuna's window, no matter how many times he was told to use the door.

"That seems unusual for Hibari." Yamamoto said.

"He actually likes sitting on it at night, I think. Sometimes he naps on it."

"Y'know I'm trying to picture Hibari getting sick." Yamamoto said. "I can't imagine it."

"I bet he's the type to barricade himself in and crawl off to die." Tsuna said. "That, or he's the biggest baby about being sick." Yamamoto laughed.

"You'll have to tell me when he does get sick." He huddled under the covers more and peered at Tsuna. "Aren't you worried about getting sick right now?" Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck.

"I have a confession." Yamamoto arched an eyebrow. "I've actually never been sick."

"Really?"

"I just thought it was luck, but now I think it has something to do with-," Tsuna pointed a finger at his forehead. "I don't think I can get sick." He looked at Yamamoto. "Have you showered today?" Tsuna asked. Yamamoto shook his head. "Okay, we're gonna get you up and change your sheets."

Yamamoto groaned in response. Tsuna pursed his lips and gently carded his hands through his sweaty hair.

"I promise, you'll feel better."

XXXX

So almost all the Guardians are there. Just waiting on one more...

Also I love Lambo and I-Pin and all but they aren't going to feature too heavily in this story. I will admit it's a little hard to write such a big ensemble all the time so I have to pick and choose. And when it comes down to it, Lambo and I-Pin are six years old. Not to say they won't come in at all, because as you can see in this chapter, Lambo definitely does. And I will be utilizing TYL Lambo at points, but in general, it's hard to keep such a big cast of characters straight.

And it should be becoming readily apparent that Ietsuna is Not Good at being a mafia boss, but for a whole host of other reasons than you would expect. I know he'll start to seem whiny at some points, but that's why I just want to hit on the fact that he really does NOT want to be a mafia boss in any way. But he also doesn't want TSUNA to have to be a mafia boss. So it gets complicated.

Also Dino will be coming soonish!

And as a sidenote, I actually do have a Hibari/Tsuna side chapter sickfic written that I was planning on posting separately. It's kind of long, and also has literally nothing to do with the main plot whatsoever, so I won't post it as part of this story but I plan to post it soon.


	12. Chapter 12

So I just posted a side chapter for this story under Serendipity, for those of you interested in more Tsuna/Hibari. It doesn't have anything to do with the main plot so if you don't read it, you're not missing anything about this particular story.

Also I'm afraid that the updates might slow down a little more; I have a lot going on right now and I kind of have to put this on the back burner. Hopefully one every two weeks, or if I have time I can just sit down and write a bunch and just keep uploading every week or so.

Additionally, there may be a few typos floating around on here; I tried to fix the ones I noticed as I reread it, but there are also multiple copies of this chapter so I'm not sure if I fixed all of them on this particular copy. If you see one, just let me know!

XXXX

Even though Tsuna disagreed with his methods, Tsuna could see where Reborn was coming from, in that he wanted Ietsuna to learn on his own. As a result, there had already been _several_ incidents where Reborn had arranged for Ietsuna to be harassed, and then shot Ietsuna with a Dying Will Bullet.

Ietsuna hated it the same every single time.

Tsuna tried to help his brother where he could, often providing a buffer between Ietsuna and Hibari.

One day, as Ietsuna was having some sort of Dying Will-fueled showdown with Mochida in the Nami High gym afterschool, Tsuna had even tried to distract Hibari in his office, by walking up and kissing him.

"You're a terrible liar." Hibari informed Tsuna immediately.

"I didn't even say anything!"  
"You have a nervous energy." He had kissed Tsuna back, snaking a hand into Tsuna's fluffy hair. He had taken to scrunching his fingers in it when they had a spare moment. Tsuna would wrinkle his nose. The first time, it elicited a real, genuine laugh from Hibari that caused the younger boy's cheeks to burn. "What are you hiding from me?"

Tsuna was walking along the road one day, heading home after school.

When a long-haired woman on a motorcycle pulled up to him. She pulled her helmet off, rosy hair cascading down her shoulders. She was beautiful, blowing him a kiss, and then tossing Tsuna a can of soda, winking.

She was _also_ Gokudera's older sister, Bianchi. The Poison Scorpion.

Tsuna held out his phone and took a photo of her. She blinked, suddenly.

"What the hell?"

"You're looking for Reborn, rightt?" Tsuna asked. Gokudera had informed him of Bianchi's tryst with Reborn, which Tsuna had a lot of questions about. Questions he did not _actually_ want answers to.

He knew that Reborn only _appeared_ to be a baby..._but he still looked like a baby!_

"Um, yes." Bianchi seemed taken aback.

"I guess I skipped a few steps; you're Poison Scorpion Bianchi, right?" Bianchi stuttered.

"Um, yeah." Tsuna held out a hand to shake hers.

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna. It's really nice to meet you, Bianchi-chan, if I may call you that."

Maybe she was a hitwoman, but she was _also_ Gokudera's older sister, and Tsuna wanted to make a good first impression.

Bianchi shook his hand.

"You have good manners." She commented. "Too bad I'm gonna have to kill you."

"You're actually looking for my older brother, Ietsuna. He's the one Reborn is tutoring." Bianchi blinked again.

"Oh, I see. Sorry for the mix-up." She shifted on her motorcycle again, before glancing at the soda in Tsuna's hand. "By the way, don't drink that."

"Oh, I wasn't going to." Tsuna tossed it into a nearby trash can. "See you later, Bianchi-chan." She waved and rode away.

Tsuna texted the photo of Bianchi to Ietsuna, with the message,

_Do not eat or drink anything from this woman!_

On another note, Gokudera had _said_ the experience of eating his sister's food was horrible and violent, but he had not quite conveyed _how_ traumatized by the experience he was.

So later that day, when the chaos in the kitchen was occuring, Tsuna and Gokudera walked in.

Gokudera immediately clutched his stomach, groaning, and collapsing as Bianchi fussed over him.

"Nee-chan..." He groaned, before passing out.

Bianchi still came around pretty often; she just wore goggles most of the time so Gokudera could look at her without going unconscious.

On the bright side, with Reborn's focus on Ietsuna, Tsuna could still sneak around and work on his _own_ flames. They mainly kept it to late night practice sessions, either on the roof of Nami Middle, Yamamoto's family dojo, or _occasionally_, the yakuza building Tsuna almost burned down. They weren't as welcome there, but the yakuza were too frightened of Hibari to say anything.

Tsuna was getting better, honestly. He could stay in his _own_ Dying Will state longer. He could move _faster_. On one memorable occasion, he had attempted flight and it had _worked_, jerky and off-putting as it was. The collective excitement from his friends as he shot into the air was _golden_, the whoops of excitement. Even Hibari had looked up, stunned, as Tsuna hovered above him.

Actually, Tsuna would say he had hovering down cold. _Flight_? Was a little harder.

The problem though, was that it was quickly becoming clear that Tsuna possessed a destructive power that was too great to use on the rooftop of their middle school or in the dojo. Tsuna would need a much bigger space to really test the limits of his power.

"You could always ask Reborn." Gokudera had suggested after one night on the rooftop. He was taking apart the contraption on his wrist that he had built. It allowed him to fire his dynamite with much more accuracy and power. He had even started to build in a flamethrower-type feature, but there were some kinks in the design still.

Tsuna stilled at the suggestion.

Hibari had been the first to notice that the normally honest, open, younger boy had not confessed everything to the tutor and his brother. And that it went beyond a lack of explanation; they were meeting in secret to train and Tsuna would even take extra pains to make sure he wasn't followed.

"You don't trust him." Tsuna scratched his head at the suggestion.

"I just...I know that my brother didn't tell me the full truth. He didn't even _mention_ Dying Will Flames. And he must have them, right? All Vongola bosses do." Tsuna took a deep breath. "I know one of us will have to tell the other eventually, but..." Tsuna shrugged. "I don't know, maybe I just wanted to keep something to myself."

"I'm not judging you. I don't like or trust your brother." Hibari responded flatly. "And while I would love to fight that cursed baby one day, he's not here to act in your best interest."

It wasn't the first time someone in Tsuna's friend group implied Tsuna being a viable candidate for Vongola might cause problems. Not that Tsuna thought Reborn would _attack_ Tsuna. But the smaller boy was certain that there was some devout psycho in Vongola who would.

It was even worse that devout psycho might even be Tsuna's father.

"I just want to keep this to us, for a while longer. If that's okay with everyone." Tsuna glanced around. There were no protests from his friends.

XXXX

When Tsuna got home from school, he immediately knew that things were about to go sideways.

And that was going to happen _before_ Hibari got there. Tsuna had talked him into coming over later to do their respective school and/or paperwork together while they watched a movie and _maybe_ held hands.

Probably a lot more than holding hands.

So _what_ if it was a date with his boyfriend?

Kyoko had even graciously offered to take I-Pin and Lambo to the park with Ryohei, so he could manage them and they could have some time like normal children. Tsuna had, on one occasion, attempted to explain his odd situation to Ryohei, but wasn't sure how much of it Ryohei totally understood. Then, Tsuna lit up his hand and showed it to the boxer.

"Oh!" Ryohei had exclaimed. "I see!" Like it was totally obvious.

Kyoko and Hana knew, though. Not all the details, like the Dying Will Flames. But about Tsuna's older brother.

They also did not care very much for Tsuna's father.

But the _reason_ Tsuna knew things were going to go sideways was because there was a _line_ of men dressed in black suits lining up outside Tsuna's house. They all wore sunglasses and stood stoically along the path to the door.

Reborn suddenly bounced into Tsuna's hair.

"Reborn." Tsuna said, and since the children weren't there he didn't watch his mouth. "What the fuck is this?"

"Watch your mouth, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn pulled on Tsuna's hair. "Walk faster."

"You can't pilot me like a _Jaeger_." Tsuna said.

"Or like the rat from Ratatouille." Reborn chirped. Tsuna huffed.

"You know, I had plans today." Reborn was dismissive.

"You can make out with your boyfriend some other time, Dame-Tsuna." He said, tugging on a lock of Tsuna's hair again. Tsuna's face was crimson.

"Except I can't, really, because this kind of stuff is consuming my life." He protested.

"Boohoo." Tsuna sighed.

"I'm gonna cancel, before he comes over and starts knocking heads together." Tsuna said.

"Good idea."

Tsuna pulled out his phone to shoot Hibari a text.

_Have to cancel. Lots of weird people at my house._

There was a ... as Hibari began to respond to his message immediately.

_What the fuck_

Tsuna snorted.

"Reborn, seriously though. What's going on?" Tsuna asked. "Where's my brother?"

"Oh him?" Reborn said. "He's inside with one of my old students." Tsuna blinked, thinking back to Gokudera's words when Reborn had just arrived.

"Dino...Chivarone?" Tsuna asked. Reborn knocked on his head. Tsuna winced.

"Dino _Cavallone_, stupid. People always get that wrong."

"Why is he here?" Tsuna wanted to know. "Doesn't he like...have stuff to do?" Reborn sighed.

"Oh, he definitely _does_. My No-Good student is surely already behind on his work. But as for _why_ Pipsqueak Dino is here, you'll just have to find out, Dame-Tsuna." Tsuna walked up to the door, peering around at the stoic men once again. Not a single one seemed to falter at his presence.

"This is _really_ weird. I want you to know that." Tsuna said, before he pushed the door open.

He heard voices arguing in the kitchen and cringed immediately.

"That isn't good." Reborn commented.

"Ietsuna-nii?" Tsuna asked, as he slid his shoes off by the door and peered into the kitchen. "What's going on?" The two figures in the kitchen froze. Ietsuna's hand was outstretched, jabbing at the other man, but paused in midair.

In front of Ietsuna was a blonde man. His hair was shaggy, perhaps a little overgrown, but honey-blonde and windswept. It had a charming quality about it, like a teenage skater boy. The man wasn't just taller than Ietsuna; he was _huge_ in comparison, broad-shouldered, thick-thighed, with massive hands. Tsuna noticed the blonde man's weapon of choice holstered at his side, visible underneath his green jacket. It was a _whip_. Underneath the jacket, the man was wearing a tank top and Tsuna could swear he saw the edges of a tattoo. This was Dino Cavallone, Tsuna guessed.

"Um, nothing, Tsuna." Ietsuna glared at the man in front of him. "I already told you, your tutor is here against _my_ will." He said. Dino huffed.

"You're very unappreciative of an _excellent_ tutor." He said. "And _rude_. You didn't even introduce this new guy!" Tsuna waved a little.

"Hi, I'm-,"

"That's because you aren't supposed to talk to him!" Ietsuna exclaimed, a hardness coming into his eyes. "I'm trying to keep my little brother _out_ of the mafia. Not introducing him to people in it!" He got upset whenever Tsuna got involved in any of the mafia related incidents that took place around Namimori. Tsuna got the impression that his brother already felt crushing guilt for what had occurred in Tsuna's childhood, and even more so about being unable to protect him as a teenager.

Tsuna was getting worried about the older boy; he had become even more withdrawn and angry lately, getting highly combative with Reborn. Tsuna had tried to suggest that maybe his brother should see a professional, as this lifestyle was _highly_ stressful, and he was still dealing with the loss of a close friend. When he had suggested that, completely earnest and only wanting his brother to feel better, his brother had startled.

He had even wanted to know if Tsuna had seen a professional for his own traumas.

Tsuna had not, and admitted so, though he was almost tempted to lie just to get his brother to seek help. He still hadn't addressed the fact that he had been shot, stabbed, and killed a mafioso when he was twelve.

Maybe he should _also_ seek professional help, Tsuna had thought to himself.

"Oh, this is your little brother?" The blonde man asked, peering down at Tsuna who had walked closer. "He's so..._cute!_" Dino exclaimed. Tsuna made a face, but his cheeks flushed regardless. Dino reached out to ruffle Tsuna's hair.

"Stop that!" Dino ignored Ietsuna.

"I'm Dino Cavallone, also known as the Bucking Bronco." He said with a cheerful smile, jerking a thumb at himself. "I'm the current boss of the Cavallone family. Reborn also tutored me." Tsuna held out a hand. Dino seemed nice, he thought.

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna." Dino's big, calloused hand grasped Tsuna's. Maybe Dino was a _little_ handsome. "Can I get you something, Cavallone-kun?" Tsuna fought the flush in his face, determined to act normal. Dino waved a hand.

"Oh, please call me Dino. And I'm good, thank you for asking!" Dino pivoted to Ietsuna. "How did I not know you had a younger brother?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you two know each other?" Tsuna asked. Ietsuna bit his lip.

"Yeah, the Cavallone are allies of the family. I met Dino a few times at various functions." He explained. "And you didn't know about my younger brother, because we were trying to protect him." A shadow of guilt came over Ietsuna's face. "A lot of good that did, though." Dino blinked.

"Did someone try and mess with your little brother?" He asked, voice filled with genuine concern. He looked back at Tsuna. "Do you need help?"

"Oh, don't worry, Dino-kun." Tsuna said, honestly. "I figured out how to handle it myself."

"I know he's just cute as a button," Reborn pulled on Tsuna's cheek.

"_Ow, Reborn!_" Tsuna's voice was garbled.

"But I saw him dislocate a hitman's kneecap and then break his jaw." Reborn said, almost proudly. "Dame-Tsuna has some tricks up his sleeve." Tsuna rubbed his cheek where Reborn had pulled.

"Your little brother is pretty cool," Dino decided. He walked over, and clapped Tsuna on the back. "You know, I was just coming to harass you about giving me my tutor back, but I gotta be honest, I like your little brother so much I might hang out for a little while." Dino grinned down at Tsuna, eyes twinkling.

"Reborn, why did you let this guy come here?" Ietsuna demanded.

"I thought you could learn a few things." Reborn said, hopping onto the table. "Tsuna, could you make me some espresso?" Tsuna nodded.

"Of course. And Dino-kun, one for you as well? Or any of your men?" Dino smiled and took a seat.

"I'll take one." Tsuna hustled over to the kitchen counter. He started some boiling water for tea as well, for his brother. "So what's this about you not wanting Reborn to tutor you?" Dino demanded.

"He's brutal." Ietsuna said. "I feel like I haven't learned anything at all." Reborn's cutesy voice cut in.

"That's because you're unwilling to learn, Stupid Ietsuna." Tsuna cringed, but didn't butt into the conversation. "It's like you don't even want to be Decimo."

"I don't!" Ietsuna snapped. Tsuna's eyes widened, but no one could see him. "Is it so difficult to believe that this is hard for me?"

"This is about your Rain Guardian, then." The bronco said softly.

"It isn't, not at all." Ietsuna insisted. He got up from his chair again, pacing around the kitchen. "It's about this being what my _father_ wanted. Not what _I_ want. And that my family could have gotten _hurt_." Tsuna readied the espresso, gently setting it down in front of Dino and Reborn, who thanked him. He stepped back, leaning against the counter while he waited for the tea, curious as to what Ietsuna had to say.

Tsuna could tell Ietsuna wasn't _happy_ about his situation, but he had not heard him speak about this so explicitly.

"I didn't want to be a mafia boss either, Ietsuna." Dino said. "But I had to step up for my family. Reborn chased me down and pushed me to be not just a better boss, but a better person. He made me see that my choice wasn't about myself alone. It was about the other people that belonged to the Cavallone family."

"You mean your subordinates." Ietsuna said, fidgeting.

"No, I mean my _family_." Dino said sternly.

"Pipsqueak Dino here ran away from me multiple times." Reborn said. _Pipsqueak_? "I see your shocked expression, Tsuna." Tsuna covered his mouth.

"Um, sorry Dino-kun." Dino laughed.

"No, don't worry. I was a little guy for a while, until I hit my growth spurt." So there was still hope for Tsuna, maybe.

"But no matter how many times Pipsqueak Dino ran away from me," Reborn hopped onto Dino's shoulder, grinning menacingly. "I found him." Dino shuddered, before recovering to speak to Ietsuna.

"Reborn is the best possible tutor you could have, Ietsuna." Tsuna reached out to press Ietsuna's tea into his hands. Ietsuna took it, surprised that Tsuna had made it unprompted.

"Uh, thank you, Tsuna." He held the cup tightly. "And I am _sick_ of Reborn putting me in shitty situations." He said. "And shooting me with those Dying Will Bullets!"

"You're being a baby." Reborn sniffed. Ietsuna turned red.

"No, I am not! I already figured out how to use-," He glanced at Tsuna. "-_that_, and I don't need to go back to the basics."

"Oh, we haven't even _gotten_ to the basics. As much as I have _tried_."

"Nii-san, I do think you might be overreacting." Tsuna suggested softly. "Reborn is just trying to teach you." Ietsuna huffed at Tsuna.

"Until you've been _shot_, Tsu-,"

"I have." Ietsuna's head snapped to the side. He dropped his cup and it shattered on the ground, tea leaking out onto the floor. Tsuna reached to grab a towel, about to bend to clean it up, when Ietsuna's voice stopped him.

"Tsuna...what are you _talking_ about?" His brother was pale. Tsuna shrugged.

"I've been shot." He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his school uniform, pulling his shirt open with his hand so that Ietsuna could see the nasty, textured scar on Tsuna's shoulder. There was the wound from the gunshot itself, as well as the thick, ropey line from where they the bullet had been dug out of his shoulder. Ietsuna covered his mouth in shock. Dino looked pale as well. "It's okay; it was a while ago. Besides, this wasn't the worst of it, anyways." Tsuna said with a shrug. He bent down to clean up the spilled tea, but Ietsuna grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

"What are you _talking_ about, Tsuna?" His older brother's lips were trembling.

"I pissed him off. So he cut up my back, too. I think I might have gotten away before he cut up my back. But I had never been shot before. _Jesus_, it hurts." Tsuna shook his head. "And he tried to cut my tongue out. I'd lost too much blood to really fight back, at that point." Tsuna informed them blithely. It struck him that most people didn't handle horribly traumatic incidents as well as he did.

Ietsuna was beginning to hyperventilate.

"What happened?" Reborn asked curiously, unfazed. "Clearly, you still have your tongue."

"Uh, Kyoya saved me. I don't remember a lot. I know he got there, and then I woke up in the hospital." Tsuna said, rubbing his jaw.

"W-who did this?" Ietsuna stuttered. His brother's initial shock was turning to rage.

"What happened to the guy that did this?" Dino asked, quietly. But there was a seriousness in his eyes that wasn't there before. Tsuna waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about it." Dino tilted his head, eyes filled with concern.

"Tsuna-," Tsuna let out a breath.

"No, I mean, Kyoya killed him." Everyone in the room froze. "Well, I guess he wasn't _dead_ dead. But Kyoya left him brain-dead in an ICU in Tokyo. I'm sure they pulled the plug on him a long time ago."

"Who's this _Kyoya_?" Dino asked.

"He's the Disciplinary Committee chairman. Hibari Kyoya." Reborn said. "Him and Tsuna are _very_ close." Tsuna fought the blush coming to his face. Ietsuna completely missed the implication, oblivious.

"Mind your own business, Reborn."

"I have never, in my _life_, minded my own business."

"So this guy is a _student_?" Dino asked incredulously.

"They make 'em different in Namimori, Pipsqueak Dino." Reborn said absently. "You said your back was injured as well. What do you mean?" Tsuna waved a hand.

"It doesn't matter. Here, just let me get the tea on the floor..." He went to bend down again, but Ietsuna grabbed his wrist. "It's a slipping hazard, nii-san." Tsuna insisted.

"You don't have to do everything for everyone, Tsuna." Ietsuna said, looking pained.

"Yes, but you look like you're about to pass out." Tsuna pointed out. He pulled out a chair for his brother. "Please, sit down, nii-san." Ietsuna collapsed into the chair, hands shaking. Tsuna bent down and started to clean up the mess on the floor.

Ietsuna was shaking his head.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" He wanted to know. Tsuna shrugged, carrying the soaked towel over to the sink. He flicked the electric kettle back on, grabbing the broom.

"It's just a part of my life." Tsuna said. "And I didn't want to make you feel any guiltier than you already do." He swept up the ceramic. Thankfully, it had broken into large pieces, so it was easy to clean up. "I don't blame you, nii-san. You were just a kid when Dad brought you to Italy." Ietsuna's face flushed, but he seemed almost _angry_ this time.

"Stop _forgiving_ me!" He shouted. "I'm not a kid anymore. I should have realized sooner, I should have come home as soon as I was able!"

"Ietsuna, calm down." Dino said sternly, reaching out to touch the blonde teenager's arm. Ietsuna ripped it away.

"I'm your big brother, Tsuna. I'm supposed to _protect_ you." He insisted. Maybe it was Tsuna responding to his brother's energy, but he was starting to get a little heated as well.

"Ietsuna, I don't need you to protect me." He said, crossing his arms. "I don't need _anyone_ to protect me. When this happened-," Tsuna tapped his shoulder. "-was the last time I needed help. And I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that _if _I needed it, my friends would protect me. But I don't." Ietsuna laughed.

"I'm supposed to be the fucking boss of Vongola." He shook his head. "I'm supposed to protect this huge family. How useless am I if I can't even take care of you?" Tsuna felt heat in his neck.

"I'm not the meter stick by which you measure yourself." Tsuna said. "And now I want to stop having this argument, before I get angry." Dino laughed, and Tsuna blinked at him. "What?"

"It's hard to imagine you angry." He confessed. Tsuna's mouth quirked in a smile back.

"If you ever meet Hibari Kyoya, ask him about that. I'm sure his answer will entertain you."

"Stop talking to my little brother." Ietsuna snapped. Tsuna felt a rush of anger wash over him, but he ignored it, pushing it down. Dino sighed, and stood up, crossing his arms.

"What are you so _angry_ about?" Dino wanted to know. Ietsuna gestured at Tsuna.

"You heard what he said! I should be angry!" Dino narrowed his eyes.

"You're not angry that he got hurt. You're angry about what you did or didn't do. Your behavior isn't on his behalf; it's about how _you're_ affected by this." It was true, but Tsuna was a little irritated Dino was the one saying it. Maybe he would have felt differently if it was coming from Reborn. But Reborn was just sitting back, sipping his coffee, and watching the show. Amusement was flickering on his face. Tsuna shot the infant a look, and Reborn just shrugged. "You're being _selfish_."

"You don't know me. And you don't know my family." Ietsuna said. He looked to be feeling hot, and he reached up to pull off his tie from his uniform and loosen the top of his shirt.

"Apparently, you don't either." Dino pointed out. Ietsuna flushed.

"Where do you get off, lecturing me on this?"

"You don't seem to be _listening_ to anyone else, Ietsuna. That's why I'm _here_." Dino rubbed his forehead, exhaling. "Reborn asked me here because he wanted you to meet another one of his students. Because I understand what you're going through more than anyone else." Ietsuna whipped around.

"Is that true?" He wanted to know. Reborn shrugged.

"Those are not my words, no." Reborn just wanted to cause _trouble_.

"It's what he _meant_." Dino insisted. "You're proving harder to whip into shape than _I_ was."

"I _know_ all of the mafia etiquette and history. Nono and my dad taught me all about Vongola." Ietsuna hissed back. Tsuna wanted to leave the room, but felt responsible to stay, almost like something bad would happen if he didn't. He sighed to himself, ignoring the headache their fighting was giving him. Dino shed his jacket, revealing the tattoo that was inked up the length of his arm. Tsuna focused on that.

"But you are so _behind_ in combat ability." Dino said. "It's egregious. You _need_ to know these things."

"I can fight just fine!" Ietsuna insisted. "I've been taught how to since I was a kid."

"No, you _can't_. I bet half of your little brother's friends could take you on." Really _all_ of Tsuna's friends, Tsuna thought to himself. Even Kyoko, who preferred not to fight. But Ryohei would _never_ let his little sister grow up without learning how to kick ass.

"Why do you even _care_?" Ietsuna spat.

"Because I don't want to see you get _killed_." Dino said. There was the sound of the door flying open, and then familiar footsteps stalking in.

_Kyoya?_

The skylark appeared out of the doorway, looking irritated.

"Tsunayoshi." He stopped at the entrance to the kitchen. "Why are all these herbivores crowding at your house?"

"I wish I had an answer." Tsuna said. Hibari frowned.

"And why is it so _hot_ in here?" He flicked his eyes over to Dino and Ietsuna, clearly locked in some sort of argument. "We had plans." He said impatiently.

Tsuna almost smiled. _Of course_, Hibari was peeved about Tsuna cancelling on him and had showed up anyways.

"Why is _he_ here?" Ietsuna demanded to know. He didn't like Hibari very much, not understanding the relationship at _all_ between his little brother and the chairman. Even though he should have been glad that Hibari had trained Tsuna, he seemed to be somewhat jealous of the closeness Tsuna had with the skylark and resented Hibari, not just for ruling Nami High with an iron fist, but for being the one to protect Tsuna. "To beat me up?" Hibari narrowed his eyes. Ietsuna was _especially_ irritated now.

"No, but I can." He snarled back.

"Stop fighting." Tsuna said suddenly. He pointed at Dino as well. "All of you. You're giving me a headache." Dino reached out and put a big hand on Tsuna's back. He moved closer to Tsuna.

"Sorry, little brother. I didn't mean to start a fight in your kitchen." He ruffled Tsuna's hair.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Reborn said, sipping his coffee and grinning under his hat.

"Aw, but he's just so _cute_."

"Stop touching him." Hibari snapped, and Tsuna caught the burning look in Hibari's eyes.

_Shit_.

Hibari was..._possessive_.

Tsuna hadn't seen Hibari jealous, really, since Shoichi had flirted with Tsuna. In the time of their relationship, Hibari allowed plenty of other people to hug Tsuna, ruffle his hair, even pull Tsuna into their laps. It didn't seem to bother him, and when Tsuna had asked why, Hibari had rolled his eyes and informed Tsuna he was not threatened by Tsuna's friends because they were all herbivores.

And Tsuna realized that this muscular blond man, who exuded strength and vitality?

Hibari picked up on it and did _not_ like it. It didn't help that he did not know Dino at all and obviously didn't trust him.

Dino blinked back.

"What?" Hibari took a step forward, but Dino did not seem to understand what was happening. "Tsuna, are these the scars on your back?" He asked, his finger tracing along the criss-crossed scar through Tsuna's shirt. Tsuna flushed red at the feeling; it was something only Hibari or Yamamoto had done.

"I told you to _stop_." Hibari snapped again, taking another step forward.

"God, what is your _problem_?" Ietsuna responded, rising from his chair.

Great, another person getting involved.

Tsuna's head hurt, and bit back the urge to shout.

"Be quiet, herbivore." Hibari barked at Ietsuna. "This doesn't concern you."

"Of _course_ it concerns me!"

"Hey, no need to shout." Dino tried to placate the angry teenagers.

"_Shut up!_" Ietsuna responded. Ietsuna looked like he was sweating, he was so angry. Hibari slid his tonfas out of his sleeves, snarling back. He shed his jacket. "You _psycho_! I have no idea why my brother hangs around with you; you don't deserve him!" Hibari moved to hit Ietsuna, but there was a _crack_ that caused Tsuna to jump.

A whip was curled lightly around Hibari's arm and tonfa, freezing it in midair. Dino was casually holding the other end of the whip. Tsuna was shaken; he hadn't even seen Dino go for his weapon.

It obviously was not Dino's full repertoire of tricks, but Tsuna was beginning to get a sense of how strong Dino was.

"Now, Hibari, there's no reason this has to end in violence-," Hibari yanked on the whip as hard as he could, causing Dino to stumble. The skylark leapt forward, snarling, but Tsuna darted forward and grabbed Hibari around the waist, physically restraining the skylark. He dug his feet into the wood.

"STOP!" He shouted. Hibari immediately froze, and Dino released the whip. Tsuna stood in between them, facing Hibari. "You need to pull yourself _together_." His face was close to Hibari's now, as he glared up at him. Hibari pursed his lips. "What the _hell_ was that?" A look of guilt passed over Hibari's face.

"Tsunayoshi-,"

"Don't interrupt me." Tsuna snapped. "You're so _headstrong_, you always have to charge into things without thinking, and you're such a- are you sick?" Tsuna stopped himself. Some sweat had broken out on Hibari's forehead.

"What?" Hibari said. "No."

"You're sweating." Tsuna pointed out.

"Your house is _sweltering_." Tsuna blinked.

"No, it's not." He reached up to touch Hibari's forehead. Something like realization passed over Hibari's face and he quickly grabbed Tsuna's arm, before jerking his hand away with a noise of pain.

Hibari's palm was red.

"Tsunayoshi. You're raising the temperature of the room." Tsuna was slow to catch on, but when he glanced back to see Ietsuna absolutely _drenched_ in sweat, staring at Tsuna. Dino had shed his own coat as well, and seemed sweaty even in his tank top, though less affected than Ietsuna. Reborn was watching, curious.

Horror passed over Tsuna.

"I _burned_ you." He stumbled back. _He'd hurt Hibari._ Tsuna clasped his hands over his mouth, tears springing to his eyes. "I _hurt you_." Hibari reached a hand towards Tsuna, but didn't touch him.

"It is barely red." His boyfriend insisted. It was _bright_ red. Tsuna shook his head, making a noise of distress. Ietsuna coughed in the heat behind him.

"Did the temperature just go up again?" His brother's voice was raspy.

"Oh, I believe it did." Reborn commented.

"Oh my god." Tsuna said. Hibari reached out towards him again, and Tsuna backed away. "Don't touch me!" He cried. He wouldn't be able to _stand_ it if he hurt someone like this.

"Has this happened before?" Dino asked.

"Not like this." Hibari responded. "But something similar, yes." Sweat was beading on the skylark's forehead now. Horror and fear was washing over Tsuna.

Dino grabbed Tsuna by the shoulders, and Tsuna immediately started squirming.

"Stop! I'll just hurt you!" He cried out. Dino held on tighter.

"No, you won't." He bent down so he was eye to eye with Tsuna, and showed him his palm. "See." It looked completely normal. Tsuna calmed down a little, but his heart was beating so fast in his chest and he couldn't fight the feeling of distress. "You can't burn me. Benefits of being a strong Sky; we're fireproof." Tsuna was shaking like a leaf in his grasp.

"What?" he asked.

"You might not have experienced it until now, but sometimes these things come out as you get older. Especially when you hit puberty and start to grow." Dino informed him. "Things like this can start to happen."

"A-are you talking about the flames?" Tsuna forced himself to ask. Dino's eyes widened briefly.

"Yes; so you've seen them before." Tsuna nodded.

"Y-yes, but I have them under control." Tsuna was so terrified he completely missed the look of glee on Reborn's face and the horror passing over Ietsuna's. "Nothing like this has ever _happened_."

"It's okay." Dino said, softly. "It happens as you get older, and you get stronger. If you bottle them all up, sometimes they start to affect you and everyone else in unexpected ways. Now, you need to calm down, Tsuna. Take a deep breath."

"What did you mean when you said you were a Sky? And that I am too? What are you talking about?"

"Tsuna." Dino said. "Take a deep breath. Close your eyes." Tsuna obeyed. "Now, another." Dino continued on until the temperature in the house seemed to drop. After a few minutes, Tsuna opened his eyes again. "There." Dino said, releasing Tsuna. He grinned, and ruffled his hair. "Better?"

Tsuna exhaled shakily. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and whirled around. It was Hibari. Tsuna felt himself get teary.

"Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?" He asked, shaking. Hibari rolled his eyes.

"Do you know nothing about me?" Tsuna let out a shaky laugh, and stepped closer to Hibari. "You're an idiot." Hibari said. Tsuna let his head fall onto Hibari's shoulder.

"I know." Tsuna felt his boyfriend wrap an arm around him. Hibari tucked Tsuna under his chin silently.

"_Ohhh_." Dino exclaimed behind him. "I get it now!"

"Get _what_?" Ietsuna demanded, voice raspy.

"Your brother and Hibari are dating!"

"_WHAT?_"

XXXX

So there's more Dino content to be had. I definitely still want to angle this as Dino eventually becoming a mentor to Hibari, no matter how much Hibari hates it. As you might be able to tell, I'm diving into the Mukuro arc, which will be a little different and then it should be straight to the ring battles.


	13. Chapter 13

Okay so I'm trying to keep up, but I would say probably expect another two weeks before the next chapter, just because I'm having a particularly busy next few weeks. But I do know where I want to go, I just legitimately do not have a lot of time to sit down and write things out. Hopefully, things will slow down soon.

In the meantime, the front half of this chapter is plot, the second half is straight shenanigans.

XXXX

They were settled in the living room, Ietsuna sitting across the room in a chair and eyeing the spectacle before him hesitantly. Dino was sitting on the couch, leaning forward while Tsuna sat on a pillow on the floor, opposite. Hibari's head was in his lap, the older boy draped across him like a cat. He had his eyes closed, but was awake. Occasionally he would crack an eye open to glare at Dino and would gently trace circles on Tsuna's knee. Tsuna rested one hand on the top of Hibari's head, tangled in his hair. The other was carding through it and rubbing his neck and shoulders.

"Is this what you came over here to do?" Tsuna asked his boyfriend when he had first settled into position.

"Mhm." Hibari muttered against Tsuna's torso, turning in to press his face into Tsuna's stomach. "And something else, but it can wait." He said.

"You lazy bastard." Tsuna said. Hibari ignored him. He sighed, and looked up to Dino. "So what is a _Sky_?" He demanded to know. Dino looked hesitantly at Reborn and Ietsuna.

"Wouldn't you rather explain this?" He asked Reborn.

"I'm not his tutor and I was given explicit instructions not to train him how to use flames of any kind." That had been the order tacked on by Iemitsu, who knew that Reborn was vying for another candidate.

"But the kid is _bursting at the seams_ with them." Dino was confused. "It would be dangerous not to."

"Tell that to Nono yourself."

"What are you all _talking_ about?" Tsuna asked. "Please, someone. Just tell me." Dino rubbed his head.

"What do you know about Dying Will flames, kiddo?"

"Just that I have them. I didn't know what they were for a long time. I can make them hot or not and they're...strong." Tsuna confessed. "I can use them to make my hits a lot stronger. I didn't know what they were called until Reborn shot Ietsuna with the Dying Will Bullet." Tsuna scratched his head. "And that the Vongola bosses have all had them. Hayato told me that there are different types, but that the Vongola line is known to use them." Dino nodded.

"All of that is true. There's just...more." He said. "The Vongola line is extremely powerful; you have a natural talent for them that is unrivaled. There are seven types. Storm, Cloud, Lightning, Rain, Mist, Sun, and Sky." Dino said. "Sky is the rarest and most powerful. All Vongola bosses are Sky."

"Is it hereditary?" Tsuna asked. Dino considered his question.

"I mean...yes and no. It is determined by one's personality and innate nature, is what we've gathered. So yes, sometimes parents and children or siblings have the same flame, but there's no gene for it that determines what you get, if that's what you're wondering." Dino explained. "Except for the Vongola; they seem to be _special_. It seems to run along the Vongola bloodline and it's practically unheard of, to have so many Skies in one family." Tsuna sighed.

_Of course_, even among people who somehow projected fire from their bodies, Tsuna was the weird one.

"So there are just tons of people _spouting_ flames?" Tsuna asked, tired. Dino sat up straight.

"_What_?"

"You know. The flames." Tsuna said.

"You mean, you can actually _produce_ a flame? With just your bare hands?" Dino demanded. Tsuna glanced behind him to see Ietsuna, open-mouthed.

"Yes?"

"Show me." Dino demanded. Tsuna held out a hand tentatively and the bright orange flame burst from it. Dino's jaw went slack. "Holy _shit_." Even Reborn looked somewhat surprised.

"What?" Tsuna asked. "I'm confused. What's wrong?" Dino rubbed his jaw.

"There's nothing _wrong_, kiddo." He was fascinated by the flickering flame. "You're really able to produce a controlled flame with nothing but your bare hands? And use this offensively?"

"I said that earlier, didn't I?"

"I thought you infused your body with them, like I do. I didn't think you actually _produced_ them like this." Dino whistled, low. "Christ, kiddo."

"You said you were a Sky too, right?" Tsuna extinguished the flame. Dino blinked and nodded.

"Yeah, I am."

"And that's why you're fireproof?" Tsuna asked.

"Yeah, that's why I wasn't as affected by the temperature rising." Dino said.

"What about Ietsuna-nii?" Tsuna wondered. "I thought he was a Sky too." The Italian suddenly turned bright red. Tsuna twisted to see his brother, who was looking away, embarrassed. Dino coughed into his hand. "What? Have I said something?"

"It's because you two are so much stronger than Stupid Ietsuna." Reborn said. "If Stupid Ietsuna would train like he's supposed to, maybe he would be fireproof too."

"Reborn!" Ietsuna snapped. Reborn shrugged.

"You were chosen because you showed great promise to be Decimo. And despite all the tutoring, the _years_ of training, you are being outpaced by your little brother by leaps and bounds. Because you refuse to learn."

"That's not very nice, Reborn." Tsuna said quietly. Reborn shrugged.

"I'm not nice." Reborn pivoted back to Ietsuna. "It's not that you don't have talent or promise. It's that you refuse to use it." Tsuna winced.

"I've only told you a _thousand_ times that I don't _want_ to be-,"

The front door flew open with a bang.

"What the _fuck_?" Hibari sat up, bleary-eyed. Tsuna had almost forgotten the skylark was laying in his lap. Tsuna stifled a laugh, and reached out to pet down some of his boyfriend's hair that was sticking up on one side. It was kind of cute.

One of Dino's men, burst in.

"Boss!" He shouted. "There's a suspicious man at the gate." Dino stood up suddenly, shrugging his jacket back on. His hand immediately went to the whip at his side. Hibari narrowed his eyes and sprang to his feet. He was out of the door before Dino was.

"Kyoya!" Tsuna shouted. "Did we not just talk about this?!"

"We never technically finished the conversation!" Came the shout back. Oh, Hibari thought he was _funny_.

"That doesn't-, _ughhh._" Tsuna sprang to his feet, chasing after his boyfriend. "Get back here!"

"Stupid Ietsuna, this is why you're not going anywhere." Tsuna heard Reborn say to his brother, who had remained seated.

"Because I don't _want _to run headfirst into danger?" Ietsuna snapped back.

"Because you _won't_."

Tsuna didn't hear the rest of the conversation.

When he got outside, Hibari was weaving through the army of men that were standing protectively by the house. They parted for Dino, who was chasing after Hibari, both heading towards a man standing at the edge of the street with a crooked smile on his face and a gun in his hand. Tsuna sprinted out after them, but was getting a strange feeling.

When he looked into the man's eyes, which were almost hidden by his fringe, he felt like something about them looked...odd. He wasn't sure what, but the more he focused, the more he was sure there was something off about them. Hibari had sprinted ahead with no hesitation.

He attacked, getting close into the man's personal space, almost too close for the odd man to use his gun. The man blocked his blows, countering Hibari's movements with a surprising speed. Hibari did manage to get a strong blow to the man's sternum that would have certain cracked it, knocking him onto his back in the dirt. Tsuna could swear he caught the intruder's eyes for a moment, and then the intruder fired a shot at Hibari. The skylark easily dodged.

_Crack!_

Dino's whip curled through the air, ripping the gun out of the intruder's hands with ease, bringing it back to Dino's. The Italian handed the gun to a subordinate and pressed onwards, widening his stance. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hibari attacked the intruder again, striking him in the face. The intruder rolled to his side, out of the way, getting to his feet and darting between Hibari's furious blows. Hibari caught him with his leg and cracked the man in the knee in a move that certainly would have caused _significant _damage.

The intruder winced, but did not go down.

In fact, he even dodged Hibari's next flurry of blows, which was only making the skylark angrier. He got him again, this time in a blow that certainly would have broken the intruder's clavicle.

And yet, the intruder remained standing.

Despite a blow to the sternum that certainly cracked it and should have forced all the breath out of his body. That should have made him weak.

A blow to the knee that should have left him unable to walk.

And a fractured clavicle, that should have made any movement unbearable.

And yet the intruder only smiled, and kept going. He was moving slower now, jerkily and Hibari was getting him more and more, but nothing seemed to send him down.

Dino grabbed Hibari by the back of his shirt and pulled him away, realizing that their opponent was no normal man. The whip cracked through the air again, wrapping tightly around the intruder. Tsuna could see where it was cutting into the skin, curled around the intruder's body.

"Who are you?" Dino asked. "What do you want?" The man grinned back.

"To obtain Decimo." Tsuna stared at him from the steps.

What _was_ it, about those eyes?

The intruder looked directly at Tsuna.

And it was like a mist cleared from his eyes. One of them was a deep crimson, growing darker around the edges and the pupil was a strange shape.

It looked like a _kanji_.

The intruder winked at him.

"Dino-," Tsuna started, just as the intruder blinked hard, the red eye disappearing, and his eyes rolling back in his head. In the same moment, Dino ripped the whip away, blood spraying through the air as it sliced through the skin and jerking the neck of the intruder.

The unconscious body fell to the ground, crimson soaking through his clothes, limbs at odd angles.

The intruder was alive, but Tsuna could see a version of that whip pulling away where Dino snapped the intruder's neck.

If Dino had intended to kill this man, it would have been over the moment Dino's whip left its position, curled at his side. As Dino coiled his whip back up, he turned to his men and beamed at them.

"Are you okay, guys?" He was met with profuse compliments.

The skylark turned to glare at Dino.

"That was _my_ prey." He snapped. Dino laughed weakly.

"There will be more, Hibari."

"Wait, Dino." Tsuna said. Ietsuna and Reborn had come out onto the stoop sometime during the brief fight. "Did you see that?"

"That he wouldn't go down, no matter how much your boyfriend put the hurt on him?" Dino asked. Tsuna nodded, but paused.

"His eyes. Did you see his _eyes_?"

"I mean I saw them." Dino said, blinking. "What about them?"

"I'm surprised you noticed that, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn bounced onto Tsuna's hair.

"I saw what he wanted me to see." Tsuna said, shaking his head. "The red eye. With the kanji." Dino turned to Tsuna, brow furrowed.

"I didn't see that."

"That's because Pipsqueak Dino is as perceptive as a spoon." Reborn added. "But I agree. He showed you that."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hibari said. "His eyes looked normal. Crazed, perhaps. But normal." He was still eyeing Dino. "You will fight me." He demanded. Dino rubbed the back of his head.

"Aw, I don't know about that, Hibari." The chairman took a step further, punctuating his statements with a jab at Dino's chest.

"You _will_ fight me. You are stronger than you are showing. You will show me." Dino glanced between Tsuna and Hibari. Tsuna held up his hands.

"I'm not getting involved." Dino turned back to Hibari, and tilted his head curiously. Tsuna could see Dino working through something in his head. And then, the Italian grinned, his hand jamming into his pocket.

"Only if you can handle..._this!_" He pulled some sort of object out of his pocket, shoving it into the skylark's face.

It promptly bit Hibari's nose.

A _turtle_. Dino had shoved his little turtle into Hibari's face and it had _bitten_ the chairman on the nose, before releasing him. It didn't break skin, but there was a red mark where it happened.

Tsuna watched his boyfriend's brain short-circuit with rage.

He had to _physically_ restrain Hibari from trying to crack Dino's skull, while Dino laughed and pet his turtle.

"You're a funny guy, Kyoya." He commented. Tsuna was on Hibari's back, struggling to hold his arms down. Hibari immediately froze.

"Did I give you permission to use my name, bronco?" He snapped. Dino shrugged.

"If I'm ever gonna train you, we'll have to get to know each other!" Hibari lurched forward and Tsuna dug his heels into Hibari's ribs, struggling to hang on.

Later, Dino had decided to stay the night and his men had left, as he insisted he was capable of taking care of himself. Tsuna had offered him the guest bedroom anyways, and already called Nana to let her know they had two extra guests for dinner.

"Are you staying as well?" Tsuna had asked Hibari, who muttered something angrily in Mandarin to himself, eyeing Dino who waved back cheerily, still holding Enzio. Hibari so strongly believed that everything about Japanese culture was superior that Tsuna often forgot that the Hibari family had Chinese roots, and that the chairman's first language was not, in fact, Japanese. Tsuna had once been present when Hibari picked up a phone call from his mother, answering in Mandarin. Tsuna's jaw had dropped. Hibari had informed him that his mother was of Chinese heritage and that he had said too much already.

"Yes, for dinner." Hibari responded. Tsuna informed his mother that Hibari was going to stay, and she was immediately thrilled, insisting she would make his favorites.

They were all settled in the living room once again, this time Hibari taking his place in a chair, arms crossed and hackles raised like an angry cat. They were discussing the man that had attacked the house. Tsuna was insisting that there was something bigger at play and while it seemed like Dino certainly _believed_ Tsuna, he had not seen what Tsuna saw.

"I just don't know what they would be doing in Namimori." Dino confessed. "It seems so odd. To send...a _scout_? I don't know." Hibari and Dino had already had it out over who would get the unconscious hitman; ultimately, Dino had ended up taking the hitman though not without Hibari fighting tooth and nail for it.

"Perhaps now is the time to speak on what I came here for." The chairman spoke.

"Besides taking a nap?" Tsuna snickered. Hibari rolled his eyes.

"What I _intended_ to speak to you about was the series of attacks that have been taking place in Namimori. On DC members." Tsuna froze.

"What?" He asked, voice filled with concern. Hibari nodded.

"Initially, no one was seriously injured and the first thought was that it was simply some locals who took issue with the committee." The skylark's eyes betrayed nothing, even though Tsuna knew that HIbari must be _furious_. "But the last few have stepped up in intensity. It seems as if they are...seeking something in particular."

"And you think this has something to do with the man who came to the door earlier?" Hibari shrugged.

"I do not know. But this man was clearly some sort of scout. He did not attack. He intended to draw us out. To get a good look at Decimo." Hibari was pensive. "I do not know for certain if these instances are connected, but we cannot afford to dismiss that possibility." Dino considered Hibari's words.

"That's interesting, Kyoya." Hibari's eye twitched. "I'll let you know what we find out."

"How about I show you where you'll be staying tonight, Dino?" Tsuna suggested. "You can follow me." Dino nodded and got up from his seat. Tsuna led him over to the stairs. "Sorry if the room is a little messy; we cleaned out the other room when nii-san moved back in-," Tsuna was mid-sentence, when suddenly, Dino's face contorted, and his arms windmilled out.

_What the-?_

"Ah!" Dino shouted, grabbing onto Tsuna and _pulling_ him back. Tsuna squeaked as they went tumbling down the stairs with a series of _thuds_.

Tsuna's life flashed before his eyes.

They landed at the bottom of the stairs, Tsuna on top of Dino, who laughed nervously.

"Sorry, Tsuna. I don't know what happened." Tsuna groaned.

Reborn bounced over to peer down at the two of them.

"Dino's usefulness decreases by over 50% when his subordinates aren't around." He informed Tsuna. Tsuna smacked his forehead, and when he removed his hand, Hibari's scowling face swam into view.

"I'm staying." Hibari informed him. "Or this fool might kill you." He reached down and grabbed Tsuna by the shoulder, hauling him up, glaring at Dino, who rubbed his head. Tsuna reached out to try and help Dino up but Hibari smacked his hand away.

"Kyoya!" Tsuna exclaimed.

"He's a safety hazard." Tsuna reached out again, starting to pull Dino to his feet, when Dino started to slip again, eyes widening. Tsuna squeaked, but Hibari was faster.

He grabbed Dino by the front of his shirt with an iron grip and pulled him to his feet.

"Thank you, Kyo." Tsuna muttered, embarrassed. Dino gave them a pained smile.

"I don't know what Reborn is talking about! This is just silly stuff." Reborn clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"He's also in _deep_ denial." Hibari released him, and then pivoted to point a finger at Tsuna.

"Do not go up the stairs at the same time as him." Tsuna held up his hands defensively.

"I didn't know!"

"Where's Hibari going to sleep?" Ietsuna finally spoke. Everyone looked at him at the same time. Horror crossed his face. "Oh _fuck no!_"

The front door opened, and Nana walked in, one arm filled with a paper bag of groceries.

"Tsu-kun! Ietsuna-kun!" She exclaimed happily when she saw them. She smiled. "Hibari-kun, it's very good to see you." Hibari nodded back stiffly. Her eyes eventually fell onto the blonde Italian man in front of her, who was smiling sheepishly. "And who is this?"

"This is Cavallone Dino, Mom-," Tsuna began to introduce him, and Dino reached out a hand to shake Nana's. Hibari was eyeing him like he was a bomb about to go off.

"Nevermind that!" Ietsuna waved a hand, eyes the size of dinner plates. "Mom, are you really okay with Hibari sleeping in Tsuna's bed?" Nana giggled, blushing.

"Ietsuna-kun, you don't want to embarrass your brother and Hibari-kun! Besides, Hibari-kun is a gentleman." She winked at Hibari. Tsuna stifled a laugh. Nana reached out and shook Dino's hand, smiling sweetly. Dino leaned down and kissed the back of Nana's hand. She flushed and giggled again. "You're very charming, Cavallone-san." Dino smiled back.

"Dino, please." Nana giggled, walking off to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"I'm not a gentleman, but you have nothing to worry about, herbivore." Hibari said dryly to Ietsuna. "I'm not going to fool around with your brother in a house full of screaming children." Ietsuna turned bright red, and Tsuna turned his head to hide the flush in his own cheeks.

"Kyoya!" He hissed.

"They aren't even here right now!" Ietsuna said. Hibari raised an eyebrow, and then gestured at Ietsuna and Dino.

"I'm talking about you two."

"Tsuna, your boyfriend is a _dick_."

XXXX

Somehow, Tsuna managed to survive the rest of the night, even with Dino's almost dangerous level of uselessness at every turn.

When the kids got back, I-Pin had taken one look at Hibari, who she had a massive crush on, and darted upstairs immediately. Tsuna had gone up to try and comfort her and bring her some food, but she refused to even look at Tsuna. Not until Tsuna had leaned down and whispered to her that he had a big crush on Hibari too, and she had finally accepted the food but refused to come back downstairs for dinner. Tsuna couldn't really fault her, not with the Pinzu Time Bomb and all.

He had left screaming downstairs, Ietsuna and Dino bickering, Lambo whining about something or other, and Hibari judging them all silently from one end of the table. And when Tsuna got back, Ietsuna and Dino were still arguing, but _Lambo_ was oddly quiet.

The little guy was sat in Hibari's lap, cheerfully munching on his dinner, one of Hibari's arms curled around him. Tsuna probably should have guessed; Hibari had a weakness for small animals and the normally crying cow child certainly qualified. The skylark was idly petting Lambo's fluffy hair, Nana cooing over both of them. Tsuna took his seat next to them, shooting his boyfriend a curious look and bending down to be eye-to-eye with Lambo.

"Lambo-kun, are you enjoying dinner?" Tsuna asked, smiling softly. Lambo nodded, and uncharacteristically, finished chewing his food before he spoke.

"It's really good, Tsuna-nii!" It was unusually obedient. Tsuna was skeptical.

"Lambo-kun, are you afraid of Kyoya?" Lambo shook his head. Hibari scoffed, and Tsuna sat back up. "I don't know how else to explain what I'm seeing."

"Hibari just has a commanding aura, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn said, snatching Tsuna's food off his plate. Tsuna rolled his eyes, but didn't fight it. "You let these kids walk all over you." Tsuna wrinkled his nose in response.

"I do _not_."

"You absolutely do." Hibari added dryly. Tsuna made a noise, and was about to shove some food in his mouth, when Hibari leaned forward and snatched it right out of Tsuna's chopsticks with his teeth. Tsuna blinked.

"Hey!"

"Tsuna-nii!" Lambo cried. "I wanna play!" Hibari tugged gently on his hair.

"Finish your food first." He ordered, not harsh, but certainly commanding. Lambo immediately closed his mouth and returned to the task at hand, feeding himself.

Which, one would think is easy, but Dino had just dropped his chopsticks for the third time across the table. It didn't help that the Italian wasn't particularly skilled with them in the first place.

"Dino, can I get you a fork?" Tsuna offered. Dino shook his head.

"No, I can use chopsticks just fine! I just can't seem to hang onto them right now." Dino laughed sheepishly, and reached forward, subsequently knocking his glass off the table and onto the floor. It shattered, loudly. Ietsuna groaned.

"This is ridiculous." He said.

Dino broke much more of their dinnerware than necessary before the end of dinner.

Later, when going up the stairs, Tsuna was afraid Dino was going to slip and die on them. He wanted to help him up, but Hibari had literally grabbed Tsuna and separated him from Dino, before hauling Dino up the stairs by the back of his shirt and tossing him into the guest room.

"Kyoya!" Dino pouted. Hibari slammed the door in his face. Tsuna immediately opened it again to poke his head in and tell Dino where the bathroom was, and that he would get him some towels momentarily.

When Tsuna came upstairs, he initially couldn't find either of them, until he heard Dino's cries of pain from the bathroom. He caught Hibari twisting Dino's hand and forcing the man to his knees, with Dino's turtle in his other hand, looking enraged. If Tsuna hadn't walked in, he was pretty sure Hibari would have started strangling Dino.

"Kyoya! You can't kill your mentor." Hibari twisted Dino's arm harder.

"He's not my mentor."

"Not with that attitude." Dino wheezed. "Alright, alright. I see what the problem was." Hibari narrowed his eyes at Dino, before releasing him.

"What's going on?" Tsuna was almost afraid to ask, but did so anyways. The dark-haired boy turned to Tsuna, presenting the turtle.

"This _idiot_," He hissed. "Claims his turtle grows in water and was about to leave it in the bathtub. _In water_." Tsuna blinked.

"I see." He answered. "That sounds like a bad idea." Hibari held up the turtle.

"I'm confiscating this until you become competent again."

"Enzio!" Hibari pulled the turtle away before Dino could grab it.

"You may collect him in the morning." Dino sighed.

"You're such a strict disciplinarian, Kyoya." Hibari huffed.

When Tsuna eventually got all the kids to bed, including Dino, he got into his own. His boyfriend climbed in after him, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him close. His hands snaked under the loose shirt Tsuna wore to bed. Tsuna felt the skylark's breath against his neck.

"I should set an alarm-," Hibari made a noise and pressed his face against Tsuna's neck.

"Go to sleep." He muttered.

Tsuna was never really _cold_ anymore, not since learning how to utilize his flames. In fact, one might say he emitted heat like a furnace. So when he woke up alone, some time in the middle of the night, it wasn't because he was _cold_. But he was curled up as if Hibari was still pressed against him, and that comforting weight was gone. Tsuna sat up, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the dark room. There was some moonlight streaming in through the window for Tsuna to see by, but it still took a second. He creeped out of bed, walking gingerly as to not wake up any other residents. The bathroom was clearly empty; the door was open and the lights were off. All other doors were closed, so Tsuna crept to the stairs, yawning to himself. He could swear he heard something from downstairs, so he descended, finding it odd that he saw no light on.

Until he peeked his head into the kitchen.

The only light was from the moonlight coming in through the window over the sink, where Hibari was leaning, shoving food into his mouth, eyes bleary. He looked half asleep, hair a bird's nest, the sight of him eating straight out of a container in pajama pants and a loose t-shirt almost comical. Tsuna stifled a laugh.

"What are you _doing_?" He hissed. Hibari blinked and turned towards him, shoving some food unceremoniously into his mouth.

"Eating." He said. "Obviously." Tsuna glanced at the stove clock.

"It's 2 am!"

"I was hungry." Hibari said, as if that explained everything. "I eat when I'm hungry." Tsuna rubbed his face.

"You sleep when you're tired, you eat when you're hungry. Do you have a schedule at _all_?" Tsuna demanded. Hibari had one scheduled nap per day, after lunch, but other than that, Tsuna _had _noticed the erraticness in Hibari's schedule. He snacked at odd times in the day, occasionally just closed his eyes and went to sleep in the middle of paperwork, and Tsuna had never been able to pin down Hibari's standard dinner time. Probably, Tsuna was guessing, because it didn't exist.

"No. Why should I?"

"Were you raised by _wolves_?" Tsuna wanted to know. Hibari shrugged, and shoved some more food in his mouth. Tsuna walked over, and leaned his head against Hibari's shoulder. He put one hand on his boyfriend's back and rubbed circles. "Come on. You're going back to bed." Hibari swallowed the rest of his food, setting the container in the sink. He blinked, and then stuck his head under the faucet, chugging water. "You're an animal!" Tsuna was horrified. For someone who seemed so prim and proper and kept everything in his life so organized, Hibari _radiated_ feral energy.

Hibari leaned back and wiped some water off his face.

"I see no need to dirty a cup." He explained, yawning.

"Is this why I haven't been to your house?" Tsuna wanted to know. "Because even though you're a neat freak about everything else you actually live in a feral, chaotic nightmare?" Hibari yawned again.

"No. You can come to my house." He said absently. Tsuna sighed and ran his fingers through Hibari's hair, tilting his own head up. "I'm just never there."

"Where do you _sleep_?"

"Wherever is most convenient, really. Depending on how tired I am."

"Just like, on roofs?" Hibari shrugged again. Tsuna wanted to shake his boyfriend. How had they been dating for _months_ already, and Hibari was still such a _mystery_? Getting personal information out of him was like pulling teeth. "Kyo, please, for the love of God, stop sleeping on roofs. I will say this explicitly; this is an open invitation to sleep and eat here whenever you want. There is plenty of food, even if you want to eat it over the sink at 2 am like a feral animal." Hibari blinked back. Tsuna tugged on his shirt, and started pulling him out of the kitchen.

"Okay." Tsuna looked up at his boyfriend, whose eyes were already half-closed, sleepy. He reached up and cupped Hibari's face in his hands, stifling another laugh. It was ridiculous. _The_ Hibari Kyoya, the demon chairman of the DC, terror of Namimori. In his pajamas, hair a ridiculous, mussed tangle, sleepy eyes, and water on his shirt from where he had stuck his head under the faucet to drink and the water had dripped off his jaw. "What is so funny?" Hibari wanted to know, but started yawning again.

"You're so cute." Tsuna said.

"I am not." Tsuna brushed a piece of hair out of Hibari's eyes.

"Yes, you are." He leaned up and kissed him gently. He pulled his boyfriend upstairs and climbed back into bed. Hibari settled back in, shoving his face against the back of Tsuna's neck. By the time Tsuna shifted to reach back to grab the skylark's hand, Hibari was already dead asleep. Tsuna snorted to himself. He was going to get Hibari a heated blanket for the holidays.

XXXX

The next day, Tsuna had cheerfully seen Dino out. He liked the older man; he was almost like his mafia big brother. And Dino had leaned in and grabbed his shoulder with one strong hand and confided in Tsuna that he would be in touch, and that he _would _help show him the ropes of the mafia world. This, naturally, infuriated Ietsuna, who threw up his hands and stormed off, frustrated. Hibari had said that he hoped to "never see this fool again"after he returned Enzio to his owner. Dino had just laughed, and said "You're so prickly, Kyoya."

Hibari slammed the door shut in response, leaving Tsuna and Dino outside with Reborn and Dino's men.

"I'm sorry about that." Tsuna apologized. "He's more sensitive than he lets on." Reborn snorted.

"That's not what I would call it." Tsuna leaned in to give the strong blonde a hug.

"Please, come by any time, Dino-nii!" Dino folded Tsuna into an almost crushing hug back. He pulled back and ruffled Tsuna's hair, giving him a boyish grin.

"Of course, little brother. I had a great time here with you. If you ever need help with _anything_, including your Sky flames-," Dino leveled with him seriously. He had already put his number into Tsuna's phone. "Give me a call. I'm _happy_ to help." Tsuna nodded.

"I will!" He promised. "I better get back inside before they destroy the place between them." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled, slipping back inside the house. When the door closed, Dino pivoted to Reborn.

"I have some questions." Reborn tilted his hat and smiled.

"That seems to be a common theme with Tsuna, yes." Reborn said.

"Why isn't _he_ Decimo?" Dino wanted to know. "I mean, I know Ietsuna was chosen a long time ago. But the sheer combat talent Tsuna has..." He shook his head. "The magnetism, the _intuition_. I don't know if all the training in the world could help Ietsuna keep up with his little brother." Ietsuna wasn't an untalented mess; he had fallen far from where Dino remembered him, but Ietsuna had Sky flames. He had combat ability. He had _some_ leadership skills. And all of it, had been a perfectly respectable, reasonable level for a seventeen year old boy.

But Tsuna was _gifted_. Sure, he was smaller, seemingly more timid than his brother. Sweet, with a gentle heart.

But with the ability to produce a corporeal flame Dino was certain could have scorched that house to nothing. A corporeal flame with no ring, no Dying Will Bullets or pills, no method to channel it through. It was rare, and powerful. The only Vongola Dino had ever seen produce that much firepower unassisted was Xanxus himself. And Xanxus didn't, and never _would_ have half the empathy Tsuna did.

"Reborn, he's a _prodigy_." Dino was dumbfounded. "Never mind the fact that he's the spitting image of a young Primo. When he grows up, it's going to be deeply uncanny."

"Iemitsu." Reborn said. Dino blinked.

"What?"

"That's the answer to your question. Iemitsu. Iemitsu is why Tsuna isn't Decimo." Reborn shrugged. "I was given explicit instructions not to even attempt to train Tsuna."

"Isn't it dangerous not-," Dino cut himself off, shaking his head. "I'm going to tell Nono what I think. He'll ask, when I return to Italy."

"Please do." Dino sighed.

"Even if they don't want him as Decimo, I don't see _why_ he isn't being groomed for CEDEF." He crossed his arms over his chest. "They're throwing away an asset. Nono has to at _least_ let me bring Tsuna to Italy to teach him some control." Reborn shook his head.

"They'll never let that happen, Pipsqueak Dino. You already think Tsuna is the second coming of Primo. Imagine what everyone else will think." Reborn said. "Imagine, if everyone else in Vongola questioned Nono's choice of candidate like you are right now." Dino threw up his hands.

"I hate this!"

XXXX

So Hibari is kind of a feral child, really. Just thought that would be fun to include. Mukuro is very much becoming an active player, so that will pick up soon. I also have an interesting vision for how Tsuna officially becomes Decimo. I don't intend to kill of Ietsuna to do it, though.


	14. Chapter 14

Tsuna frequently dealt with a full house. After all, it almost _always_ contained, Tsuna, his brother, his mother, Reborn, and two six year olds. And more often than not, Yamamoto and Gokudera who came to eat, to hang out, to stay over. And then Ryohei, who liked to play with the kids and box with Tsuna. He had taken a liking to Gokudera, ultimately. And Tsuna was certain that Ryohei wasn't half as dumb as he so frequently seemed;the boxer certainly took joy in riling up Gokudera. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Bianchi showed up to, to tease her little brother and cause a little strife. Sometimes she flirted with Reborn in a way that made Tsuna _very_ uncomfortable.

And then Kyoko and Hana, who were around less often, but enjoyed Tsuna's chaotic household. They didn't _love_ it, which is why they rarely stayed over, but it was like a nice vacation. Kyoko tried to be nice about it, but Tsuna saw her face the first time she saw Lambo leap onto Gokudera's head, crying and pulling on the silver-haired students hair, and the ensuing explosions. Lambo had grown too, since he had first arrived, though the little boy certainly didn't act like it when he flung his tiny body at Gokudera.

"It's okay, Kyoko." Tsuna said. "I know this is less than ideal."

"Um, no, Tsu-kun! It's...cute." Her smile was pained.

And when Hibari appeared, it was like a stray cat gracing them with his presence. He also preferred to climb the wall to get to Tsuna's window, instead of using the door. He had done it until Tsuna spied him outside his window one day, and threw it open, sticking his head out.

"Kyoya!" He had shouted. Hibari looked up at him, surprised. "Get off the wall! Use the gate, like a normal person!" The skylark complained, but leapt down off the wall and headed to the door. He still climbed in through Tsuna's window on occasion, but during what Tsuna liked to think of as the Sawada household's regular business hours, Hibari would use the door. That meant basically whenever the sun was out.

All in all, what this meant was that Tsuna didn't mind having a full house. It was chaotic, it was loud. It drove Ietsuna insane, which Reborn certainly appreciated. But Tsuna actually _liked_ it. His house had been so quiet, for so long. And he was pretty sure it never would be again. It was _home_.

So when he opened the door to see a small, brown-haired boy in a little green sweater and a scarf, clutching a huge book to his chest...what was one more, _really_?

"I'm Fuuta de la Stella. Can I stay here?" Tsuna's heart melted.

"Of course." The words were out of his mouth before Tsuna could stop himself. Fuuta's face lit up. "Here, come in. We'll get you some food." Tsuna ushered the small boy in, calling out to his mother. Yamamoto and Gokudera poked their heads out of the living room, when they heard Tsuna inform Nana there was another for dinner.

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked. "Who's that?"

"Fuuta de la Stella." Tsuna said automatically. Ietsuna peered down the stairs, Reborn on his shoulder. Reborn tilted his head curiously.

"You attract interesting people, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn pulled on Ietsuna's hair. "Go down." Ietsuna obliged, as Tsuna brought Fuuta into the living room.

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi." Tsuna realized he had yet to tell the little boy his name. "But you can call me Tsuna!" Fuuta nodded, taking a seat in front of the coffee table.

"I know! I have you in my book here." Fuuta held out the giant book and flipped it open. "Mafioso who can't refuse a request." Fuuta read out loud. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, first." Tsuna's face turned bright red.

"That's humiliating, Dame-Tsuna." Reborn commented out loud.

"Reborn!" Tsuna hissed. Yamamoto laughed, wrapping his arm around Tsuna.

"Aw, that's kinda sweet." Yamamoto said.

"No, it's not." Tsuna muttered.

"Yes, it is. Can you get me a glass of water?" Yamamoto asked. Tsuna went to stand up.

"Sure-," Gokudera grabbed Tsuna's shirt and pulled him back down, glaring at Yamamoto.

"He's not your errand boy, baseball idiot!" Gokudera snapped. Tsuna realized what had just happened and slammed his head down on the coffee table, groaning.

"I really can't refuse a request." He realized. He felt Yamamoto's hand on his back.

"Sorry, Tsuna. Had to test it." Yamamoto admitted. "It's okay!"

"How did you know that?" Gokudera demanded. Tsuna slowly came up from the table. "Who are you?"

"I'm Fuuta de la Stella." Fuuta said. "Also known as the Ranking Prince?" Ietsuna and Gokudera groaned simultaneously.

"Is this another weird mafia thing I don't know about?" Tsuna demanded.

"The Ranking Prince can rank..._anything_. It's unlimited information about enemies, allies." Gokudera explained. "I didn't realize that he was...so young." He regarded the small boy with both admiration and apprehension.

"He can't stay here, Tsuna." Ietsuna said, serious. "All kinds of people are after him. He'll only bring trouble." Fuuta looked at Tsuna with big eyes. Tsuna _knew_ he was being manipulated by this child but had no power to stop it. "Tsuna!" Ietsuna exclaimed.

"I can't refuse a request." Tsuna said weakly.

"He can't _stay_." Ietsuna said. "I'm drawing a line in the sand."

"Hey, Fuuta." Yamamoto said, leaning back against the couch. "Do you have Ietsuna ranked in something?" Fuuta nodded, flipping through his book.

"Mafia boss with no ambition, Sawda Ietsuna. First." He read out loud. Ietsuna turned red.

"That's not-," He stopped talking abruptly. "He can't stay here, Tsuna. He's only going to bring violence and trouble."

"I can protect him." Tsuna said, blinking. "That's why you're here, right? For protection?"

"I'm sorry." Fuuta confessed. "I knew you couldn't refuse me. And I need help."

"How old are you?" Tsuna asked.

"I'm 10."

"Then you have nothing to apologize for. I won't let anything happen to you." Tsuna promised.

"Tsuna, _stop_." Ietsuna snapped. "We can't-, you can't-..." He paused. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Fuuta can't stay here. I won't allow it." Tsuna saw Gokudera's face darken; he would never say it, but Tsuna had noticed that Gokudera had a soft spot for children. Especially children in the mafia. Sure, the silver-haired boy complained and fought with Lambo all day, but there was an unspoken understanding that the six-year-old had been abandoned by his family. That sending him to Namimori had been an effort to get rid of him; that the Bovino family had hoped he would be killed by Reborn or never would return.

When Tsuna had first worked through that conclusion, he had cried for the little boy and hugged him tightly. Lambo didn't know why Tsuna was crying and started pulling on Tsuna's cheeks.

Tsuna wasn't about to abandon a child who had asked for his help.

"Ietsuna, he's staying. That's final." Tsuna said quietly. "We don't turn away kids. _Ever_."

"Just think what would have happened if you hadn't tried to turn away Lambo." Reborn added. Ietsuna didn't understand.

"He still would destroy half our house on a regular basis." Ietsuna muttered, crossing his arms.

"No, you would have a _Lightning Guardian_, Stupid Ietsuna." Reborn snapped.

Tsuna and his friends got Fuuta settled in, while Ietsuna stormed out of the room, too angry to interact.

XXXX

"What's got your goat, Stupid Ietsuna?" Reborn had followed him to his bedroom, where Ietsuna had simply taken a seat on the bed and pulled out his homework. He was trying to focus but he was so frustrated that the graphite of his pencil kept breaking.

It was actually an understatement, to say that Ietsuna was frustrated. He had been angry for a while about a lot of things. Mostly regarding his brother.

It wasn't that he was angry _at_ Tsuna necessarily. But the circumstances that surrounded him.

Ietsuna slammed his book shut.

"Tsuna is about to be in harm's way _again_. I _know_ it. He shouldn't even be classified as a mafioso! But Fuuta came running here because _I_ got him involved." Ietsuna snapped. He rubbed his forehead. He knew, objectively, that Tsuna could protect himself. But there was this irrational, fearful response that Ietsuna couldn't control at the thought of his brother's life being risked for some stupid mafia bullshit. It had probably been obvious to everyone at this point, but Ietsuna was feeling some intense guilt over the years of neglect and danger that Nana and his little brother had suffered. And with every passing incident, the feeling worsened. It was nearly crushing, at this point.

"Not everything is about you, Stupid Ietsuna. Your brother can handle himself." Ietsuna felt tears prick at the back of his eyes but he held them in.

"I know, I just..." Ietsuna shook his head. "And it's your fault too." He pointed a finger at Reborn. "You want him involved. You want him...I don't know." Reborn shrugged.

"I want to teach him. He's better suited to this life than you." Ietsuna knew deep down that that was true. But he hated to think about it.

Ietsuna had seen the flames in his brother's hand, had felt the rising temperature of the room when Tsuna had gotten angry. He knew what that meant for him.

"You think he'd be a better Vongola Decimo than me." Ietsuna said quietly. It was no secret; Reborn had made it clear from the beginning that he thought that Ietsuna was better off in therapy and out of the mafia for the most part. That didn't stop him from training Ietsuna anyways, under Nono's orders. And Ietsuna agreed with Reborn; he didn't know if he could do what Nono wanted him to do. If Xanxus were still around, Ietsuna had no doubt that his distant cousin would crush him under foot like he was nothing. Xanxus was a stronger leader and a superior fighter. Really, all of Nono's sons had been. Ietsuna was beyond the backup; he was the last resort.

"Objectively, yes. You know it's true." And it _was_.

"I won't let them make him." Ietsuna said. "I don't care what I have to do. I won't let them force him into this life. He deserves better."

"If you don't get stronger, Stupid Ietsuna, that won't be up to you." Reborn said, bouncing onto the bed. His cutesy infant face betrayed nothing. "I intend to have Tsuna trained regardless, though. So he doesn't burn the house down on accident." Ietsuna's initial instinct was to protest, but he remembered how hot that room had gotten and watching a single touch burn Hibari.

"I don't want them to make him Decimo, Reborn. I mean it. I know what you think. But I'm drawing the line. His life is his own." Ietsuna said quietly. "I can't protect him from a lot, but I can protect him from this." Reborn shrugged.

"That's up to you, Ietsuna. But remember, your brother can't stay in Namimori forever."

"Why not?" Ietsuna demanded. "If that's what he wants."

"Because he can never go back to a normal life. I don't know if he realizes it yet, but he's already entered the mafia world and he can't leave it. Even if he's not Decimo. So you can sit here and complain about things being dangerous and wanting to keep him uninvolved, but with every passing second he becomes more deeply entrenched." Reborn's tone didn't change, but the gravity of his words was not lost on Ietsuna. They were dark.

"I'll leave. I won't keep bringing trouble to his doorstep." Reborn hopped onto his shoulder to flick him in the head.

"Stupid Ietsuna, what did I say? Not everything is about you. The moment a hitman put a gun to Tsuna's head and he lived to tell the tale was the last time he would ever be a civilian." That sent a chill down Ietsuna's spine.

"He can go back to whatever life he wants." Ietsuna insisted.

"He shoots _fire_ from his hands, Stupid Ietsuna. That boat has _sailed_." Ietsuna wanted to throw his book at the wall. He _hated_ the idea of this. That there was nothing he could do to stop this.

But being involved in the mafia and _being_ Vongola Decimo were two different things. And even if Ietsuna couldn't stop one of them, he could stop the other.

XXXX

After realizing that Fuuta had basically nothing to his name, they had decided to take him shopping in downtown Namimori. It was an arrangement of people; Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were planning to meet up with Kyoko and Hana, but for now it just looked like three dads and their children, Fuuta and Lambo. Tsuna _had_ informed Hibari that he had somehow adopted another child and Hibari had rolled his eyes, huffed, and said, "Of _course_ you did." Tsuna tried to be apologetic, but after the skylark told him that it was "the most disingenuous sentence to ever come out of your mouth", Tsuna decided to stop trying.

"Hey, Fuuta, how does this whole ranking thing work?" Yamamoto asked. He was carrying a bag with clothes for Fuuta. Gokudera was carrying one with some toiletries and bedding for Fuuta and Tsuna had insisted on getting Fuuta some toys and games. They had some for I-Pin and Lambo, but what two six year olds might like and what a ten year old might like were very different things.

"I don't really know." Fuuta said. "I've been able to do it since I was young. When I concentrate on ranking, especially when I'm looking at a person, I can rank them on anything. It makes the gravity around me pretty weird, though."

"So that's why all these people are after you? I don't know if I really get it." Yamamoto confessed.

"Baseball idiot." Gokudera snapped. "He could rank them on anything. As in, top ten mafiosos most likely to betray Vongola. Top five places to infiltrate the Iron Fortress. Top secret information that's incredibly valuable." Fuuta nodded. Yamamoto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I guess I didn't think of it that way."

"It's okay." Fuuta's voice was small. "I wish more people were like you." Tsuna just wanted to hug him, but refrained, just clutching the bag of puzzles, board games, and a teddy bear he snuck in when Fuuta wasn't looking, tighter.

He spotted a figure waving at him down the street.

"That's Kyoko and Hana!" He gestured over to them.

"SAWADA!"

"And I guess they brought Ryohei-nii along." Ryohei sprinted over to them, his intense sunny disposition causing Fuuta to take a step back. Ryohei grinned and put his hands on his hips, evaluating Fuuta.

"I heard you've adopted another kid, little brother!" he exclaimed. He bent down to look at Fuuta. "I'm Sasagawa Ryohei! It's extremely nice to meet you!" Fuuta took a step forward timidly, holding out a hand for a handshake.

"I'm Fuuta de la-," Fuuta didn't even get to finish his sentence before Ryohei swept him up in a big hug, lifting him off the ground. Fuuta squeaked.

"You're extremely polite!" He exclaimed. Tsuna watched Hana smack herself in the forehead. When Ryohei finally released Fuuta, Tsuna leaned over and gently put a hand on Fuuta's shoulder.

"Sorry, Ryohei-nii can be a little intense."

"I don't know what you mean, little brother!" Ryohei beamed down at Fuuta, a wry smile beginning to cross the shy boy's face.

"I like your friends, Tsuna-san." Tsuna introduced Fuuta to Hana and Kyoko, and they all decided to get lunch together. It was a nice day out, so they sat outside while Kyoko and Hana talked to Fuuta, trying to narrow down what other kinds of things he might like. Fuuta had confessed to never having Japanese food before, so they were trying to pick something off the menu that he would enjoy. Tsuna had noticed a similar problem when shopping for some games and toys for Fuuta; the little boy had no idea what some of them were, or had only ever seen them, never played them. It spoke to a childhood worse than Tsuna's own.

In the middle of lunch though, Tsuna felt a chill go down his spine. He tried to keep a straight face, and discreetly pulled out his phone, opening it to text Hibari.

"Everything good, Tsuna?" Yamamoto said quietly next to him, the smile on his face never faltering. Gokudera's head snapped to the side, but Tsuna quickly put a hand on Gokudera's.

"What's wrong?" Gokudera hissed. Thankfully, Ryohei's voice was so loud that it covered their quiet conversation.

"Nothing. Nothing for sure." Yamamoto shifted forward.

"How about one of us takes a lap around the block? Just to make sure everything is good." He suggested. "Check on that intuition of yours." Tsuna knew that Yamamoto would go check if he asked him to, but that in general, he preferred to stay by his side and personally watch his back. Though, with Ryohei and Gokudera there as well, Tsuna had more than enough people by his side.

Thankfully, Gokudera was always incredibly eager to please.

"I'll go." He insisted. He stood up abruptly, and everyone at the table turned to look at him. "I'm, uh, going to the bathroom." He took off.

"He's not really that good of a liar, is he?" Yamamoto whispered to Tsuna as the conversation at the table resumed. Tsuna texted Hibari anyways, just to check on DC activity in the area. Yamamoto stretched his arm over the back of Tsuna's chair, a casual motion that Tsuna knew was protective.

"How long are you going to stay with Tsuna?" Kyoko asked Fuuta sweetly. The conversation halted as Fuuta looked to Tsuna nervously, mouth slightly open and unsure how to answer.

"However long he wants." Tsuna said firmly. "My house is always open."

"Tsu-kun, you have such a big heart." Kyoko said.

"That's gonna get you in trouble one day." Hana remarked. Yamamoto laughed out loud.

"Oh, it most certainly has already." Yamamoto said.

"I mean, I wouldn't say _that_, Takeshi."

"Oh, I definitely would." Yamamoto countered good-naturedly. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't have such a big heart. Sometimes, it just gets you into trouble." Tsuna's brow furrowed.

"Like _what_?"

Gokudera appeared from around the corner, sprinting up to Tsuna's chair. He skidded to a halt, panting lightly. Kyoko blinked.

"I thought you went to the bathroom?" She asked.

"Can I talk to you Tsuna?" He forced out.

"Um, sure?" Tsuna started to get up and Gokudera grabbed his arm and pulled Tsuna to the side.

"Better make sure everything is alright as well!" Tsuna heard Yamamoto tell the table as he rose from his seat behind them.

"Three men that I saw, scoping out the table." Gokudera whispered. "Guns holstered under their jackets. Rings tell me Marco family. They're notoriously bloodthirsty." Without even looking down, Tsuna texted to Hibari, GET HERE NOW.

"Okay." Tsuna said evenly.

"And a van, parked to the side." Gokudera admitted. The smile on Yamamoto's face never faltered, but he removed his bamboo sword from the bag on his back.

"We'll just have to take care of it then!" He said cheerfully.

"The DC is already on its way." Tsuna said. He didn't even need to look down at his phone. He knew Hibari had already sent his enforcers marching out. And he was certain Hibari himself would be here any minute. "What we're gonna do is I'm gonna stick with Fuuta, Kyoko, Ryohei, and Hana. We're gonna get him out of here, but we'll wait until the DC gets here before we make our move. You guys are going to fan out and pretend to shop." Tsuna said. "Don't get too far away, but just far enough that you can see them and us at the same time. Wait until they make the move first." Gokudera and Yamamoto nodded back seriously. Tsuna softened, reaching out to put a hand on both Gokudera and Yamamoto's shoulders. "Be careful, guys. I don't want anything to happen to you. We're just trying to keep Fuuta safe, but _never_ at your own expense, okay?"

"We promise." Yamamoto said.

"We won't let anything bad happen to you and Fuuta." Gokudera said firmly. They nodded back and split, Tsuna retaking his seat.

"Is something going on?" Fuuta asked timidly.

"Nothing to worry about yet." Tsuna said. He leaned back in his chair a little bit and smiled at Fuuta.

"Tsuna-san, I've been running from these people for my entire life. You can be honest." He clutched his backpack to his chest. It held the large ranking book he always carried with him.

"I am." Tsuna said. "Nothing to worry about yet." The DC and Hibari would be there before long and with Gokudera, Yamamoto, _and_ Ryohei all there, they had more than enough firepower to keep Fuuta safe. Tsuna was worried in a general sense, yes, but he had _seen_ what his friends were capable of. And he trusted them. A text buzzed on Tsuna's phone.

_DC FORMING PERIMETER_

And sure enough, Tsuna was beginning to spot the pompadours and black jackets in flashes through the crowd. He was certain that there were several more that he couldn't see, boxing in the hitmen.

They sat there, idly chatting for a few more minutes. Tsuna was taking a more passive role in the conversation, tracking DC members and hitmen in the crowd. He was counting more hitmen now, five instead of the initial three Gokudera had seen. He made eye contact with his friends who were pretending to browse racks and window shop.

The sound of a loud motor turned Tsuna's head. People jumped out of the way, screaming as a black motorcycle pulled up onto the sidewalk. Even though the figure had a black helmet on, Tsuna knew who it was immediately from the jacket. He stood up.

"Did you wear a helmet just because you knew I would tell you to?" Hibari pulled the helmet off, setting it on the seat as he climbed off the motorcycle.

"Yes."

"Hibari! That's an extremely cool bike!" Ryohei exclaimed. Hibari shot him a withering look.

"Tetsuya and the DC are in place. The van is parked a block down." Hibari turned loftily to Kyoko and Hana, who were giggling to themselves. "Why are these herbivores staring at me?"

"Who is this?" Fuuta's quiet voice came in.

"This is Tsu-kun's boyfriend." Kyoko giggled. "Hibari-san."

"Oh." Fuuta said.

"Y'know Tsuna, I never really thought about it before, but Hibari's smokin' hot. Even if he _is _crazy." Hana was enjoying herself _too_ much.

"Hana!" Tsuna hissed.

"I'm just saying, good for you." Hibari rolled his eyes.

"Um, Kyo, we need to get Fuuta safely to the DC van and handle all of the hitmen here. We can take him back to my-,"

"No." Hibari interrupted. Tsuna blinked. "We are not leading them directly back to your house."

"They probably already know where I live. It can't be that hard to find." Tsuna reasoned.

"It is, because I have taken great pains to make it so." Hibari snapped. "Despite the cursed baby's efforts to seed chaos into Namimori, I have ensured that you and your residence remain protected."

"Oh." Tsuna rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"We will be taking him to a DC stronghold." Hibari said. "Just get the child to the van." Tsuna nodded and turned to Fuuta.

"Ok, Fuuta. We're going to leave right now." He held out a hand. Fuuta slowly got up and took Tsuna's hand. "Wait, the bill-," Tsuna began to realize. Hibari huffed and pulled a wad of cash out of his jacket, tossing it on the table.

"Let's _go_." Hana blinked at it.

"That's a _lot_ more than the bill there." She commented.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Tsuna said. "The Hibaris are filthy rich."

"Y'know, that explains a _lot_ about Hibari." Tsuna turned to Ryohei.

"Nii-san, I can protect Fuuta. Can you make sure nothing happens to Hana and Kyoko and get them home safe?"

"Of course, little brother!"

"Tsu-kun-," Kyoko's brow furrowed. "Do you need anything from us?"

"Just for you to be safe." Tsuna said.

He started leading Fuuta as Ryohei and the girls split to the other direction. Tsuna was fairly sure the Marco family wouldn't follow them, as long as their primary target was Fuuta. But Ryohei could keep them safe, just in case.

Tsuna could see the van from where he was standing and he started to slowly lead Fuuta down the street. Hibari, meanwhile, pulled his helmet back on and revved up the engine. It was hard to read with that black helmet on, but Tsuna knew he was keeping an eye on all visible Marco targets. Gokudera and Yamamoto themselves were each quite close to them. And the moment one of them moved, they would find the hammer of the DC cracking down on them with little to no mercy.

Tsuna could feel how tight Fuuta was holding his hand.

"Are you sure about this?" Fuuta whispered.

"Absolutely." Tsuna confirmed. He craned his neck, at the moment one of the Marco men realized what was happening and took a step forward, going for their gun. Gokudera's fist collided with his face, Gokudera's foot with his knee, and the moment the hitman was low enough, Tsuna watched Gokudera get him in a chokehold long enough to knock him out. The other hitman panicked, but went down quickly as Yamamoto got him with a knock to the temple.

Tsuna felt a chill go down his spine, and he pulled Fuuta off to the side at the same time there was a loud _crack!_

People immediately started screaming and darted away. Tsuna twisted to see Hibari revving up the engine, in hot pursuit of a hapless hitman who was quickly realizing that the motorcycle was going to run him down. The hitman ducked to the side, eyes widening, but Hibari pivoted the bike, going after him.

Tsuna picked up the pace, pulling Fuuta with him. Tsuna could vaguely hear the signs of the men on the perimeter getting caught by the DC; any gunshots faded away immediately as they were disarmed by the surprisingly competent and bloodthirsty teenagers. Tsuna pulled Fuuta into the van, closing the door. Ren, one of Tsuna's friends on the committee, twisted around in the front seat.

"Everybody in?" He asked. Tsuna briefly considered waiting for Gokudera and Yamamoto, but knew that they could more than handle themselves. The top priority was keeping the little boy who was clutching his hand safe.

"Yeah, they'll catch up." He decided. "Let's go." Ren hit the gas, and the van took off. Tsuna couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't out of the woods yet, so he pulled Fuuta close. Fuuta had taken off his backpack again and was clutching it to his chest. The little boy pulled out the ranking book and gazed at it.

"I should just let them have it." He said quietly. "I should just let them have me."

"No." Tsuna said. "That's not going to happen." They must have been on the road for only a few minutes when something hit the side with a _THUMP_. The van rocked suddenly, and Tsuna held on tight to Fuuta, who let out a squeak. Ren cursed in the front seat, but the van rocked back, thankfully. Ren slowed to a stop.

"What the _f-_,"

_THUMP!_

The door dented inwards, the metal screeching and bending. Tsuna couldn't control the noise that left his mouth. He knew that he himself firmly fell into the category of _freaks_ but what the _hell_ could do something like that?

An animalistic roar ripped through the air.

_THUMP!_

This time, the entire van tipped over and Tsuna stumbled, arms flailing as he fell back against the wall of the van. He groaned as he fell, legs splayed out weirdly. Thankfully, Fuuta had remained seated so the sudden movement startled him, but he didn't get hurt. Tsuna blinked up at the bent metal in front of him. There was a _roar_, and then it was _gone_.

Tsuna bit back the urge to swear.

A face swam into view, the figure hunched over the top of the gaping hole in the side of the truck. His face was scarred and blonde hair wild. The teeth barred showed fangs, and the hands that were gripping the edges of the hole were more like claws than anything else.

"_The kid._" He snarled.

"Back off." Tsuna responded, groaning as he tried to get to his feet. The figure let out a roar and ducked in, trying to grab Fuuta. Fuuta cried out as a clawed hand reached his book, trying to pull it away from him. Tsuna sprang to his feet and grabbed Fuuta and the book, pulling him back. He snatched up a scrap of twisted metal that had fallen when the door was ripped off and stabbed the figure in the hand with it. It didn't go in very far, but it certainly punctured skin. Their attacker roared and his grip slipped on the book. He didn't let go, but scrambled for purchase, taking hold of a few pages on accident. He yanked, ripping some out.

"That's _enough_." Tsuna lit up his hand and took a swing at the figure, whose body was hanging halfway into the van at this point. Tsuna saw the shock register on his face, just as Tsuna put some power behind it. He caught the kid squarely in the jaw, his head snapping back painfully and his body swinging up to knock against the edge of the roof.

"_Fuck!_" The attacker scrambled out, and Tsuna jumped up, grabbing the edge of the van and pulling himself up after him. He grabbed the ankle of the attacker as he turned to run, not realizing how insanely hot his hand must have been. A shrill scream came out of the boy as Tsuna burned through the material of his pants in a second, straight through to the skin that sizzled. He kicked out with his other leg, and Tsuna let go, so he could dodge the boot aimed at his face. He started hauling himself over, just as the boy crouched, howling in pain and leapt with a force that shook the van. He landed 20-some feet away and took off running.

What the _fuck_.

Tsuna blinked in disbelief, extinguishing his hand. He dropped back into the van; he didn't think he would catch up with their attacker and wasn't about to leave Fuuta alone. Plus, he needed to check on Ren and make sure he was alright.

"Tsuna-nii?" Fuuta squeaked, shaking and holding the book to his chest. He still had it, even if they had lost a few pages.

"Everything is going to be fine, Fuuta." Tsuna promised. He ducked his head in between the front two seats. "Ren?" The DC member in question groaned in pain, but shot Tsuna thumbs up. He seemed to have hit his head against the window when they were knocked over, but was buckled in and all right. Tsuna reached up and unbuckled him, climbing into the front seat. He pushed the passenger door open over his head and helped right Ren. After Ren was out of the van and safely to the ground, Tsuna scooped Fuuta up and climbed out. Fuuta was heavy, much bigger than Lambo or I-Pin, but Tsuna was strong enough to pull him out of the van.

Once they were firmly settled on the side of the road, Tsuna called Hibari. He didn't even wait for a response once he heard the telltale _click_ of the phone being answered.

"The van was attacked on the way. We're okay, but the van is toast-," Tsuna glanced back at the van, which was tipped over and a giant gaping hole on the top. Tsuna was sure it could be repaired, but there was no way that was happening right that moment. "They were after Fuuta, but I don't think it was the Marcos." Tsuna had noticed that the attacker was wearing a green school uniform. It looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. "He was...weird." Tsuna paused to give Hibari time to speak.

"_Where are you?_" Tsuna glanced around.

"Um, I'm not totally sure. I can hand you off to Ren." Tsuna offered.

"_No_. _I know the route they were taking. We will come get you-,_"

_We_? Tsuna almost asked, but he heard the voices clamoring in the background.

"_Is Tsuna okay_?" A certain fiery voice demanded.

"_Ma, ma Gokudera, I wouldn't try to grab the phone from him again._"

"_Tell us that Tsuna is okay!_" There was a thud and a cry of pain. Tsuna winced.

"_We will be there soon._" Hibari promised, hanging up.

Soon enough, the second van was pulling up with Hibari on his motorcycle behind them. Gokudera and Yamamoto piled out of the van immediately, Gokudera rushing over. He grabbed Tsuna by the shoulders, examining him.

"Tsuna!" He exclaimed, eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?" Tsuna bit back a smile.

"I'm fine, Hayato. We aren't hurt." Tsuna heard a noise, and turned to see Hibari climbing onto the top of the van, gazing down at the gaping hole in the side. The claw marks were distinct.

"Describe what you meant when you said weird." Hibari said. Yamamoto let out a low whistle, catching a glimpse of the marks.

"I mean, I'd say that's pretty weird." The baseball player said. Tsuna told them what had happened.

"I mean, I don't wanna say that he was like me, because he was _nothing_ like me..." Tsuna trailed off. "But he was weird like me."

"You don't have claws that can rip through metal." Gokudera said. Yamamoto eyed Tsuna.

"Or _do_ you?" Tsuna rolled his eyes.

"Takeshi."

"I'm just saying, I'm going to be deeply disappointed if you're holding out on us." From the thoughtful look on Hibari's face, Tsuna would guess that he would be too.

"Stop imagining me with claws." He poked Yamamoto in the arm.

"Just _think_ of the possibilities!"

"Regardless, I don't believe this individual was with the men in the square." Hibari said, hopping down from the van.

"If they had someone who could do that, I don't think they would have waited until now to use him." Gokudera said. "And I've never heard of anything like that from the Marco family." Fuuta let out a groan behind them.

"So now I have whatever family this guy belongs to after me too?" He said timidly.

"I don't think he comes from any kind of family." Tsuna said. "He was wearing...what looked like a school uniform. I can't remember where from though." It was nagging at the back of his mind.

"Regardless, we need to get you out of the open." Hibari said. He gestured towards the white van.

"I don't think he's coming back." Tsuna responded. He glanced down the road.

"How do you know that?" Fuuta whispered.

"I just...do." Tsuna confessed. "I would know if he were still here." He was still trying to think of where he had seen that school uniform before. The attacker had looked pretty young; around Tsuna's age if he had to guess.

"He got a page." Fuuta said quietly. "A few."

"Do you know what?" Gokudera asked, as they started to guide the smaller boy towards the van. Fuuta opened up his book, thumbing through it. His brow was furrowed with concentration. He muttered under his breath.

"Namimori hiding place rankings...Nana's best dishes...best fighters in-," He stopped.

"Best fighters?" Hibari asked. Fuuta nodded.

"There's a few pages missing. They got Best Sushi Restaurants in Namimori, Nana's Best Dishes, Richest Mafiosos, Best Brands of Almond Milk, and Best Fighters in Namimori."

"I think they wanted the whole book." Tsuna said. "I don't know what they were after specifically."

"But if any of those pages were useful, there's a pretty clear winner." Gokudera said. Yamamoto nodded.

"Oh yeah. It's really hard to find a good dairy alternative." Gokudera's head whipped around so fast Tsuna heard his neck crack.

Tsuna didn't know how the baseball player said that with a straight face.

"Are you an idiot?" Gokudera demanded incredulously.

"Maybe so." Yamamoto said with a shrug, a mischievous smile creeping on to his face. Yamamoto was probably going to send Gokudera into an early, stress-related grave, Tsuna decided. "Do you remember who was on that list?" Yamamoto asked Fuuta, as he helped him into the van. Fuuta chewed his lip.

"No...I'm sorry. I forget the rankings after I do them. It's why I write them down." Fuuta paused. "I think you were on it. All of you. I just don't remember what the ranking was."

"That's okay." Tsuna said. "We at least know they'll be coming after us. It seems like what they were doing before, attacking the DC. It'll just be more pointed. We don't need to know what the exact ranking is." Tsuna watched the corner of Yamamoto's mouth twitch, and he immediately knew the baseball player was about to start something. He resisted the urge to groan.

"Yeah, we already know what the rankings are anyways." Yamamoto said. Gokudera's neck flushed red.

"What do you mean, we already _know_?" He barked out. Tsuna smacked himself in the forehead.

"Well, you know, Hibari and Tsuna at the top, I'm in the middle, and Gokudera's obviously at the bottom." Yamamoto responded cheerfully.

"Why am I at the _bottom_?" Gokudera was furious. "I am a highly skilled strategic fighter!" He snapped. "Obviously? _Obviously_?"

"Well, what do you think the ranking is?" Yamamoto teased him.

"Tsuna at the top and you at the _bottom_!" Hibari made a noise in his throat. Tsuna wanted to jump off a roof.

"Given the fact that I _trained_ Tsunayoshi earns me the top spot." Hibari hissed icily. "Insult my skill again and I'll bite you to death."

"Any thoughts?" Yamamoto nudged Tsuna with his elbow.

"Please don't involve me." Tsuna begged. "Can we go?" Hibari glared and stalked back over to his motorcycle, picking up his helmet.

"Tsunayoshi." Hibari said. "Will you be joining me or staying in the van?"

"I mean, since he's probably at the top of the list-," Yamamoto paused part way through to cough, barely able to keep a straight face at the increasing rage on Hibaris's face. "-, Tsuna should really stay with us, to protect Fuuta, right?"

Tsuna could tell Hibari was caught in a weird place; somewhere between his borderline neurotic need to be the best fighter and his respect for Tsuna's skills.

And well, in Tsuna's opinion, projecting supernatural flames from his body was a little hard to beat.

"Stop talking." Hibari snapped. Tsuna stifled a laugh.

"We'll meet you there, Kyo." Tsuna said. He walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. At the very least, he was thankful Hibari hadn't attacked Yamamoto.

"Hn." Hibari responded. "I'll see you there."


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the wait! There's some heavier stuff this chapter so I wanted to pair the back end with some shenanigans to look forward to. I also posted slip away, another Hibari/Tsuna side story. I ended up posting two chapters. The second is NSFW, but you don't need to read it if you just want the first one. I was thinking about posting another side story I have sitting on my laptop, if anyone wanted it. But here's the chapter!

XXXX

When they got to the building, Tsuna got Fuuta set up with some food and water in one of the lounges Hibari had set up in the building. Since it had been turned into a DC stronghold, it had been repaired and redecorated. Currently, Fuuta was sat down on one of the plush couches. Tsuna sat across from him in a chair, Yamamoto leaning against the wall near the door and Gokudera on the other side of the room, arms crossed. While they were relaxing, Hibari stormed in, the door swinging open and hitting the wall. Kusakabe was at his side.

"Tsunayoshi." He said, tapping his foot impatiently. "We have a few guests." The skylark looked irritated. He stepped in and Ietsuna followed.

"Nii-san." Tsuna was surprised. "How did you get here?" Reborn hopped up onto Ietsuna's shoulder. "Ahh." Tsuna said. "I see." Reborn smirked back. Ietsuna sighed.

"Fuuta's in trouble with these guys, right?"

"We're handling it." Tsuna said. They had picked up one of the Marco men and the DC was in the process of setting him up for interrogation. The thought of it made Tsuna wince, but what they really needed right then was information, and the Marco family was a largely unknown entity to them.

Ietsuna sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I hate to say it..." He took a deep breath. "But I am Vongola Decimo and this should be my responsibility to take care of."

Hibari snorted, loud and sudden.

Ietsuna looked taken aback and Tsuna cringed.

"It's okay nii-san. We have it handled." Tsuna promised him. "The DC is about to start questioning one of the Marco men, and we're gonna go from there." Ietsuna's eyes hardened.

"Fuuta is going under the protection of Vongola. If he is going to remain under our protection, I need to be involved." Ietsuna said. "I'm going to help you."

"The Disciplinary Committee does not require assistance." Hibari said. "Your help is not necessary or wanted." Ietsuna's brow furrowed.

"I'm not going to stop you from doing anything, but I need to know what you know." Ietsuna said. "I'm asking to be in the room." Hibari briefly made eye contact with Tsuna.

"It's okay." Tsuna said. "I can stay here with Fuuta. You can fill me in later."

"I value your skills over that of your brother." Hibari said pointedly.

"I've been in an interrogation before." Ietsuna said. "I can handle this. And I _can_ help you, if you want it." Hibari rolled his eyes. "Tsuna can stay here with Fuuta. He wants to." Really, Tsuna had no desire to be involved in the interrogation. Of course he would _prefer_ to stay with Fuuta, even though he did feel almost an obligation to be involved in the interrogation.

"It's okay." Tsuna said. "I'll hang tight with Fuuta." Hibari looked unhappy with Tsuna's decision but sighed, and turned back to the door.

"Do _not_ speak, or I will bite you to death." Hibari said to Ietsuna. Before he left the room, Tsuna watched Hibari share a brief look with Yamamoto, before the skylark and his brother stepped out of the room. Once the door closed, Tsuna turned to Yamamoto.

"What was that?" Tsuna asked Yamamoto curiously. Yamamoto pulled himself off the wall. His face was unreadable.

"You should be up there." Yamamoto confessed.

"I'm not a mafia boss." Tsuna reminded him. "And I have no intention of _being_ a mafia boss."

"I know you don't like it, but your intuition would be incredibly valuable to them." Yamamoto said. "You can't stay down here forever." Tsuna knew exactly what Yamamoto was saying; but especially in this past year, Tsuna couldn't shake the feeling that he was stepping further and further into something he wouldn't be able to turn back from. Ever since Ietsuna had come back and things really started to heat up.

"I'm not a mafioso." Tsuna said.

"I'm never going to push you to do something you don't want. Where you go, I follow." Yamamoto said. "You know that." Tsuna nodded back. "But no one can do what you do. And you know where you should be."

Yamamoto didn't say it, but Tsuna knew exactly what the taller boy was getting at.

It was falling to him to lead; it had happened naturally, as Tsuna's circle had expanded. After Hibari had put him through rigorous training. After he started to come into his abilities more. And so far, all of it had happened naturally, but Tsuna was pretty aware that the day was coming where he would have to make the conscious decision about what he wanted. About where he was going to lead his friends. His _family_.

"Hayato?" Tsuna asked, turning to Gokudera. The silver-haired boy met his eyes, but seemed hesitant.

"As much as I hate to say it, I agree with the baseball idiot." Gokudera hesitated, before his eyes glimmered. "You're the boss."

Tsuna glanced back at Fuuta, who was confused at all the words unspoken between them. At some point, it would all have to be said out loud, but Tsuna was going to put off that day as long as he could.

"I'll be back, Fuuta." Tsuna promised. "Just hang tight with Hayato and Takeshi." Tsuna stood up, letting out a breath. He nodded to his friends, and stepped out of the room.

Kusakabe was waiting for him outside the door, a soft smile on his face.

"Tetsuya?" Tsuna asked, surprised.

"He asked me to wait for you." The vice chairman confessed.

"Oh, that _bastard_." Tetsuya's shoulders shook with laughter as he led Tsuna up to where Hibari was interrogating the Marco hitman. When they arrived, Hibari was waiting outside the door, Ietsuna looking bewildered. When the younger boy approached, Ietsuna's brow furrowed.

"Tsuna, you're supposed to be-," Hibari cut the blonde haired boy off.

"Tsunayoshi." He said with a nod. He looked _smug_.

"You're an asshole. Why do you never just have a conversation with me about these things?" Hibari shrugged.

"I assume you are intelligent enough to reach these conclusions on your own. Am I mistaken?" Tsuna stuck his tongue out at the older boy. "And while it is typically _correct_, my opinion does not dictate your actions."

"One day I'm going to hit you with a rock." Somehow, the chairman looked even _smugger_.

"I don't understand your relationship." Ietsuna said bluntly.

"What, did you think your little brother would be cute and shy and rely on the big bad Demon of Namimori?" Reborn asked with a snort. "_Hieee, Hibari-senpai!_" Tsuna rolled his eyes.

"I mean, yeah." Ietsuna muttered. His neck was red.

"It's called mutual respect, Stupid Ietsuna."

"If you are done," Hibari said dryly. "Let's get on with it."

XXXX

The Marco hitman was zip-tied to a chair, a black bag over his head. It was the same, secret room Tsuna had been in before. A few DC members were on either side of the Marco hitman, who was visibly sweating. The teens grinned back at Tsuna. Tsuna knew a little about the DC interrogation techniques, and while they bordered on violent on occasion, Tsuna knew they weren't by any means torturing the various hitmen who had showed up on the doorstep of Namimori. Thank _God_.

But not because Hibari was unwilling to torture those who "disturbed the peace". No, because, as he had informed Tsuna after being pressed for the answer, "torture doesn't work".

Tsuna hadn't been a big fan of that answer, but at least he could rest easy with the knowledge that the primary interrogation tool was fear.

To get the Marco hitman sweating like he was, Tsuna could only imagine what the teens were doing. He knew that Ren had taken to jangling a bag of knives near the ears of their prisoners. The dental drill had also been a big hit with the teens.

Currently, behind the two DC members, there was a third smacking the wall with what Tsuna knew to be a sock filled with bar soap, grinning at the heavy thuds it made that caused the hitman to twitch.

Hibari held up a hand and the DC member in the back halted, the two on either side of the hitman stepping back. He reached forward and pulled the hood off the hitman. An ugly, blood-smeared face appeared, bruises beginning to form on his face from where Hibari had no doubt beaten him into submission. His eyes were beady and frantic. Tsuna swallowed.

"Name." Hibari demanded.

"Alessio." The clipped response came out. "Marco."

"Why are you here?" The hitman hesitated and Hibari stepped forward, planting his foot on the chair between the legs of the hitman. He tilted it up with his foot. Alessio sucked in a breath. "Answer me."

"Who _are you_?" The hitman demanded shakily. "I thought you were just kids but you're fucking _crazy_!"

"That's not how this works." Hibari tilted the chair further back. "Why are you here?"

"The fucking kid." Alessio spat out.

"Fuuta?" Tsuna asked. The hitman nodded, setting his jaw.

"If you hand him over right now, _maybe _the rest of my crew will go easy on you." Hibari pitched the chair forward. It clattered heavily to the ground, shock spreading over the hitman's face when Hibari grabbed him by the throat, eyes narrowing. Tsuna heard Ietsuna breath in next to him.

"You disturbed the peace in Namimori. I will not go easy on _you_." He snapped. "I want names and locations of where the rest of you pathetic herbivores are staying." Tsuna studied the hitman's face as Hibari's words hit him. The sudden set to the jaw; the flex of his fingers, drawing attention to the Marco family ring. In the same way that Tsuna was certain one of his friends would die before they gave Tsuna up, Tsuna knew in that exact moment that hitman's loyalty to the Marco family was about more than money.

This was the mafia, he supposed.

"I won't tell you. You can do whatever you want to me, but I won't fucking tell you." Hibari leaned back and snapped his fingers. One of the DC members grabbed something out of the corner and set it down heavily next to Alessio. It sloshed around in the container.

Tsuna inhaled sharply.

Gasoline.

There was a flash of terror across Alessio's face.

Hibari bent down and picked up the gasoline canister. Alessio began to shake, biting his lip and trying to hide it, but the looser zip ties allowed them to rattle ever-so-slightly against the metal chair. It was obvious he was terrified.

"Holy _shit_, _Hibari!_" Ietsuna finally spoke. "That's it, this is over. You can't do this." Ietsuna took a step forward, but Tsuna shook his head. Ietsuna's mouth fell open. "Tsuna, you _cannot_ let this _psycho_-," Reborn knocked on Ietsuna's head, shutting him up briefly, but the young don's head whirled around. "Reborn, I don't care. This isn't happening."

"Tetsuya." Hibari said. "Shut him up." Kusakabe nodded, grabbing Ietsuna and covering his mouth. The blonde boy started to struggle, but another DC member stepped in and pinned his arms behind his back. Reborn was still perched on Ietsuna's shoulder, watching Tsuna with great curiosity.

Tsuna turned back to Hibari, who had stepped forward and was pouring gasoline on Alessio. Alessio choked as the fumes hit him, the gasoline soaking through his hair and his shirt in seconds. He spluttered, shaking his head. He was shaking violently now. Tsuna winced. Hibari ignored the terrified figure underneath him and dumped the rest of the canister onto the hitman. He wrinkled his nose at the smell, stepping back. Some of it had splashed back onto him, so he distanced himself from the man in the chair.

Alessio was sitting there, soaking wet and trembling in the chair. The terror in his eyes was unlike anything Tsuna had ever seen. Tsuna suddenly reached out and grabbed Hibari's arm.

"Kyoya." Hibari blinked back at Tsuna. "Just...let me talk to him. For a second." Hibari tilted his head and Tsuna nodded back. "Please."

"Tsuna-," Ietsuna began to speak, but Hibari shot a look at him.

"Speaking." Was all Hibari said, and Ietsuna's mouth closed suddenly.

"Can you grab me another chair?" Tsuna asked softly. One of the DC members left to grab one. Tsuna took a step closer to Alessio. He could see where the zip ties were cutting into his skin. "And some more zip ties?" Hibari was watching Tsuna curiously, but complied, handing some over to Tsuna. Tsuna bent down and redid them around Alessio's wrists, tight enough that he couldn't get out, but much looser than the previous ones. "Anyone have a pocket knife?" A DC member handed his to Tsuna, and Tsuna snipped the tighter ones off.

"What are you doing?" Alessio demanded, voice still trembling. The fumes coming off of him were pungent.

"Can I have a minute?" Tsuna asked. "To speak with him alone?" Hibari's face was unreadable, but he nodded.

"I'm not gonna fall for this good cop bad cop shtick." Alessio snarled. "I've been interrogated before."

"I'm not trying to pull anything on you. I don't want to see him hurt you if we can avoid it." Tsuna confessed honestly, watching Alessio carefully. It was true, Tsuna didn't have any kind of plan here. He was operating purely on intuition.

"Tsunayoshi." Hibari said.

"I'll be fine, Kyoya. Please, if we can just have the room for a minute." Hibari grabbed Ietsuna by the back of his shirt and yanked him out of the room. Ietsuna squeaked and started to protest, but was quickly blocked from view by the DC members who followed out of the room, all eyeing Tsuna carefully. One last member entered to put a chair down for Tsuna, before nodding at him and leaving again.

Tsuna pulled the chair a little closer, taking a seat in front of the hitman.

"You're fuckin Vongola Decimo." The hitman said. "That's why they're all deferring to you. That's why fucking _Reborn_ is here."

"I'm not going to answer that." Tsuna said.

"I've seen the portrait of Primo. You look like you could be his fucking _kid_." Alessio said. "No wonder that goddamn kid was so well guarded. I'd heard Decimo was in Japan, but I didn't realize it was..._here_. In this little shit-ass town."

"Alessio-san, I just want to talk to you about Fuuta." Alessio blinked.

"The Ranking Prince?" Tsuna nodded.

"Fuuta isn't going anywhere; he's under my protection. I know why you all want him, why you're here. But I need you to know that isn't going to happen." Alessio groaned, head thumping back on the chair. Tsuna didn't feel comfortable telling an outright _lie_, but implying that Fuuta was officially under Vongola protection wasn't going to hurt anyone. "Alessio-san, please, do not hurt yourself."

"I don't fucking _get_ you." He said. "If you didn't look like the spitting image of Primo and if all these bastards weren't acting like you're the boss, I never would have guessed."

"Alessio-san, I am not in charge of the Disciplinary Committee. They are certainly friendly towards me and my family, but any kind of deference you see is respect, not obedience." Tsuna said. "Which is why I think you should tell Hibari what he wants to know."

"You're asking me to _betray_ my family." Alessio said. "I will _never_." He was still trembling though, unsettled by the gasoline poured onto him.

"Alessio-san, I have no control over what they do to you. I would rather not see you get hurt. In fact, I would rather the Marco family not get hurt. I believe that if you were to willingly give us names and locations, I could convince the DC to simply arrange for your family to be arrested, rather than injured or killed." Tsuna said. And Tsuna was pretty certain the Marco family could get all its members back to Italy. "They won't receive the same treatment you did, I can assure you that."

The Marco hitman stilled, quiet for a moment as gasoline dripped off of him onto the ground.

"You aren't betraying them; you're protecting them." Tsuna said. "I'm sure you can understand at this point, especially with Vongola involved-," Not a lie, technically. Even if Tsuna wasn't who Alessio thought he was. "-, that you will _never_ get your hands on Fuuta. And Hibari is very good at getting the information he wants. Whether or not you tell him won't stop him from finding them." Tsuna said softly. Not that he would legitimately allow Hibari to kill this man; he would step in first, no matter how much it pissed the skylark off.

But something about Tsuna's soft tone and the undeniable truth of his words was beginning to shake Alessio; he could tell, from the way he licked his lips, from the way his fingers were trembling.

"Hibari controls all of Namimori and all of the yakuza for miles. You brought a large group of men into this country; they can't hide forever and Hibari is tenacious. He will find them, sooner or later, and when he does, it will end in bloodshed. I'm asking you to prevent that, Alessio-san." Tsuna tilted his head. "Please."

The hitman's eyes had been watering, presumably from the fumes. But Tsuna watched a real, legitimate tear roll down his cheek.

"Alessio-san, please. You can save your friends." Tsuna pleaded with him.

"The Vongola specialize in fire, don't they?" Alessio asked hesitantly, shivering. Tsuna nodded. Tsuna cupped his hands, a small flame appearing in them. He angled the warm, orange flicker towards Alessio, so he could see.

Alessio's eyes widened, the flames dancing in the reflection of them, seemingly _very_ aware that he was covered in gasoline.

"Do you even need gasoline?" He whispered.

"No." Tsuna said. "I don't. But I'm not the one in charge here." He could see how scared the Marco hitman was. Tsuna extinguished the flame in his hand and reached out, setting his hand on Alessio's. The hitman flinched, but settled down. "All we're asking for is names and where they're currently staying. That's all, and then they'll be arrested."

Alessio exhaled heavily.

"O-okay. I'll tell you."

XXXX

Once the DC members had dragged Alessio off to hose him down, Hibari turned back to Tsuna, who blinked back owlishly.

The chairman's face broke into a grin.

And then Tsuna was being shoved to the side violently, eyes wide, as Ietsuna's fist collided with Hibari's jaw, his older brother roaring in anger. It was far more violent than Tsuna had ever pictured his brother capable of, enough strength behind it to knock Hibari back a few feet.

"Don't you _ever fucking use my brother like that again_." Ietsuna hissed, furious. Hibari turned back, tonfas out, and ready to fight.

"Nii-san-," Tsuna was horrified at the unbridled _rage_ in his brother. He had never seen anything like that. His brother's face was contorted in anger, lips curled in a snarl. He pulled something out of his jacket, flicking it out so that it unfolded. It looked like...a warhammer.

"_Do not_." His brother responded. He tossed back what looked like a pill to Tsuna and then it _happened_.

It didn't happen like it did with Tsuna; he watched Ietsuna's eyes change, warmer, more like a flame than before, but not like Tsuna's did when he changed. But from Ietsuna's hands, the hammer began to glow, traveling down the shaft and to the head of the hammer. It lit up in the same, warm, orange flames that Tsuna had seen in his own hands, but it seemed to be emanating from the hammer itself, the flame hot enough that Tsuna could feel it from where he was standing.

Ietsuna hefted it with an ease that was unexpected, despite how heavy it looked to be. He flicked it around and Tsuna could read in his movements how skilled Ietsuna was in wielding this.

"I'm not fucking playing around. I've let plenty slide so far." Ietsuna ground out, taking another step forward towards Hibari threateningly. Tsuna became very, _very_ aware that Hibari was covered in gasoline. Hibari seemed aware of the same, because he was hanging back from Ietsuna, even though he looked _livid_.

Ietsuna gestured with the hammer.

"But what I just saw can _never_ happen again." His voice was almost _commanding_. The person in front of Tsuna was not the Ietsuna he knew, but certainly the one that had been molded by Iemitsu and Nono. Tsuna could see how his older brother would have made a commanding figure as Decimo; against the glow emanating from his warhammer, he appeared _powerful_.

"Your brother got us a _list_ of hitmen, names and their locations. They can and will be arrested with very little bloodshed and removed from Namimori. All of this was achieved without a single drop of blood from the man we interrogated." Hibari snapped back. "He is _unharmed_."

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me?" Ietsuna screeched. "You poured gasoline on him. You had Tsuna _participate._"

"I was never going to set him on fire, nii-san. And I certainly was not going to let Kyoya do that." Tsuna said. Ietsuna twisted his head to look at Tsuna, brow furrowing even deeper.

"Don't you _get it_?" Ietsuna demanded. "You would never have even been in a position to do that! You never should have had to lead a fucking interrogation!" He took a step towards Hibari. "I should fucking kill you."

"Ietsuna-nii." Tsuna begged. "_Please_, calm down."

"I wasn't going to set the man on fire." Hibari barked out, crossing his arms. "Your brother was never going to hurt him. It was a _lie_, you idiot. To get him to tell us some very important information. Information, that will save a 10 year old boy."

"You don't care about that." Ietsuna snapped.

"They were disturbing the peace in Namimori." Hibari countered. "And your brother cares about that. And I care about Tsunayoshi, whether you believe it or not."

"Ietsuna-nii, please. Put away the hammer." Tsuna took a step forward. Ietsuna bent his head down, shaking his head.

"You can't go down this path, Tsuna." He said. "Because then you'll be _me_."

"We can talk about this. But not while you're threatening Kyoya." Tsuna said. "Please."

"Ietsuna." Reborn's voice cut through the air. "It's time to put the hammer away. If you set his boyfriend on fire, I'm pretty sure your little brother will never speak to you again." Ietsuna glared at Hibari one more time, before extinguishing the hammer. As soon as it was out, Hibari lunged forward, but Tsuna leapt in front of his brother, holding his hands up. Hibari halted abruptly.

"Please, don't." Tsuna begged. "Let's talk about this." He could tell how _furious_ the skylark was, but he stayed in place, practically vibrating with the desire to hurt Ietsuna. Tsuna gently placed a hand on Hibari's chest, who stilled. Tsuna's eyes were _pleading_ with him.

"Will you defend him?" Hibari asked.

"I will." Tsuna didn't particularly _want_ to get into a physical altercation with his boyfriend, but given the scenario, it seemed like it may be necessary to prevent him from killing his brother.

"He's your responsibility now." Hibari said shortly, with a sharp nodded. Tsuna exhaled, and dropped his hand.

"Thank _you_." He said softly.

By the time they exited the fume-filled room, Tsuna's hands were shaking. He tried to hide them in his pockets.

"Go back down to your friends and the ranking prince." Hibari said. "The little prince will be safe within the next few hours." Tsuna peered up at Hibari, who was still receiving angry glares from Ietsuna.

"Can I trust you two not to kill each other?" Tsuna wished he was joking.

"_Fine_." Ietsuna spat. Hibari nodded his head in response.

XXXX

"You are not completely helpless." Hibari remarked, tilting his head at Ietsuna. Ietsuna could not _believe_ the audacity of the chairman.

"You're fucking unbelievable." Ietsuna shook his head, letting out a breath.

"You clearly have the capability to wield a weapon, and yet have refused to be involved in any efforts to protect your brother or any of his charges." It was a miracle that statement didn't send Ietsuna off into a rage.

"I _have_ been-," He spluttered.

"You've done absolutely nothing." Hibari said calmly. "You have refused to legitimately fight at any point, when your skills would have been useful."

"Because I'm trying to keep Tsuna from getting involved! Not that you _respect_ that in any way."

"Refusing to engage has done nothing so far." Hibari pointed out.

"What, you think I should give the okay to all this ridiculousness? That I should let him keep bringing people like this into his life?" He demanded.

"You should _help_ him." Hibari said stoically. Ietsuna snorted.

"Like you would call me _first_ and not him. Like you would _let_ me fight." Ietsuna snapped back.

"You've demonstrated you're capable." Hibari said with a shrug. "I am not averse to you taking a more active role. That is between you and Tsunayoshi." Hibari turned on his heel to walk away, but before he did, he looked back at Ietsuna. There was something deeply predatory in the way Hibari held himself, eyes narrowing. "The only thing protecting you is that you are Tsunayoshi's brother and he will physically defend you from me. Take care not to lose that protection."

A bloodthirsty grin cracked across Hibari's face.

"Or don't." The chairman walked away with that, leaving Ietsuna and Reborn alone in the room.

"I'd call what just happened a _huge_ tactical mistake." Reborn said. Ietsuna could feel a headache coming on. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't threaten Hibari again; he's the prickliest, most territorial Cloud I've ever seen. He'll kill you next time you pull that."

Ietsuna knew he had made a mistake, now that rush of anger was gone. That he would have probably had more success trying to talk to Tsuna about it instead of pulling out his weapon. But he had been so _angry_. He couldn't believe what he was watching his little brother participate in.

Ietsuna had been in the mafia long enough to know how important intelligence gathering was; that was the purpose of CEDEF after all. Even though they had moved further away from the intelligence gathering portion since Iemitsu took control. They were more of a strike force now, but still served the same general purpose. Ietsuna knew how crucial what had happened in that room was, but that didn't mean he had to _like_ that his brother was involved. To him, watching Tsuna participate in this was like watching him take one big step further into the mafia world. The world that he wanted to keep the younger boy out of.

He just felt so _stupid_. But it was hard not to react so violently at the thought of what just happened. Of seeing gasoline poured onto that hitman; Tsuna's brow had furrowed, his mouth had twitched. Ietsuna had seen the concern in his eyes; but he didn't stop Hibari. Maybe it was because he trusted Hibari more than Ietsuna did, but it was still unbelievable. And he knew nothing violent had gone on while he was out of the room, but coming back in to see his little brother sitting in front of the sobbing hitman, quietly holding his hand while he listed off all the names and locations of his comrades _shook _Ietsuna.

He couldn't help but wonder about the ultimate truth. Sure, Tsuna was his adorable little brother. He felt deep empathy for those around him and held nearly everyone in his life close to his heart. But there was something deeper - a willingness to do the hard thing, to take on a fight even when he didn't want to, to face the difficult truths. It was unyielding, without hesitation. He wasn't a badass at first glance, really. In fact, he spent almost all his time handling his crazy friends and the children that followed him around like ducklings. But every single time it mattered, Tsuna stepped up.

Was that who Tsuna _was_, or who Ietsuna and his father had forced him to _be_?

And the unspoken question; _should Tsuna have been chosen to be Decimo in the first place? _The answer was obvious who would be the better Decimo now, really, with the sorry state Ietsuna knew he was in. But that didn't necessarily mean Ietsuna had always _been_ the wrong choice. _Was Tsuna always like this?_

Ietsuna would never know, and it hurt his heart to think about it.

He exhaled heavily.

"I know. I know. I'm so stupid."

"You care about your brother, Stupid Ietsuna, and I'm not going to fault you for that." Reborn responded, hopping down from his shoulder. "But I would consider using your head every once in a while. Just a thought." Ietsuna scrubbed his hands over his face.

"I'll be better." He promised. "I _have_ to be better."

XXXX

Tsuna was going to _kill_ Reborn.

Not that Tsuna was on great terms with his brother lately; since he had threatened Hibari, there had been an odd tension in the house. Tsuna wasn't trying to avoid his older brother, but there was this looming idea that a conversation needed to be had, about how Tsuna _wasn't_ a kid and it _wasn't_ Ietsuna's place to threaten violence to his friends over Tsuna's own decisions.

But it was a _little_ hard to broach the topic, and neither of them were enthusiastic about doing so.

But regardless, Tsuna wasn't _happy_ with Reborn apparently trying to get Ietsuna killed.

It had been some dumb incident; as always, Reborn was tormenting Ietsuna, and shot him with a Dying Will bullet. Tsuna was pretty sure that Ietsuna could handle it without being put into Dying Will Mode; especially after seeing him flick that hammer out with such ease.

"It's about humiliation." Reborn had said cheerfully to Tsuna on the matter. Tsuna had cringed. "What, you got a problem Dame-Tsuna?" Reborn responded.

"Uh, maybe a little..." Leon crawled down Reborn's arm, quickly transforming into the green pistol Tsuna had become so familiar with. He pointed it at Tsuna.

"Die." Tsuna shrieked in response.

But when Ietsuna had woken up the next day screaming, Tsuna was pretty sure it was Reborn's fault. On one hand, the constant torment was a little funny, even if Tsuna felt very badly for his older brother. But on the other, if Ietsuna were to actually get hurt or killed by the hoops Reborn put him through, Tsuna was going to react poorly.

Tsuna knocked on the door, hearing Ietsuna shouting from inside the room.

"Nii-san?" Tsuna asked. "May I come in?"

"No!" Came the strangled yell.

"Is everything alright?" Tsuna asked. The door suddenly creaked open.

"_Reborn_!" Ietsuna shrieked.

"Come on in, Dame-Tsuna." Tsuna didn't want to violate his brother's privacy, but from the frantic voice coming from inside the room, Tsuna was worried something was seriously wrong.

Tsuna slowly crept into the room. His brother was sitting shirtless on the ground, in front of his mirror. He was wearing a pair of pajama pants and his hair was wild, like he had been gripping it.

But what Tsuna _really_ noticed was that there was a skull on his arm, with a speech bubble that said, "_I'm very bad at speaking Italian._"

"Um..." Tsuna didn't know what to say.

"It's called Skullitis." Reborn said cheerfully.

"What did you _do_?" Tsuna demanded of Reborn.

"Why do you think it was me?"

"It was him!" Ietsuna cried out from in front of the mirror. "And now it's gonna kill me!"

"_What_?" Tsuna almost shouted. Reborn bounced up onto the bed.

"It's Skullitis. It happens after you get shot with a Dying Will Bullet 10 times. Skulls appear on your body and reveal your deepest secrets until you die."

Tsuna didn't believe that for a _second_.

"This isn't a funny joke, Reborn." He said, crossing his arms. He was trying to frown, but had been told it mostly looked like he was pouting.

"He's being serious." Ietsuna groaned. He suddenly slammed his hand to his chest. "Can you pass me a shirt?" He asked.

"No." Reborn answered. Tsuna tentatively reached over and picked up a shirt from the bed, handing it to his brother, who was refusing to uncover his chest. He quickly yanked it on over his head.

"What do we do?" Tsuna asked, brow furrowing. "Should we take him to the hospital?"

"No, there's no cure." Reborn said. "Ietsuna's just going to die."

"Reborn, no jokes. I mean it. What do we do?" Tsuna said sternly. Reborn tilted his hat slowly.

"I may...know of someone who can help."

"Call them." Tsuna said immediately. Another skull appeared on Ietsuna's collarbone, the black edge of it poking out from his shirt. His older brother groaned.

XXXX

Despite the impending possibility of death, Reborn sent Ietsuna to school anyways, insisting that a mafia boss had to remain calm in the face of imminent demise.

Tsuna was pretty sure that this was all a part of an elaborate plot based in humiliation. And he still _kinda_ didn't believe that Skullitis was real. It seemed so ridiculous.

But nevertheless, there had been skulls popping up on Ietsuna's body all day, so even though the weather wasn't particularly cold, he was wearing a jacket and a pair of gloves, trying to cover as much of his body as possible. Tsuna tried not to peak on the walk to school, but Gokudera wasn't as tactful.

"What are you trying to hide?" Gokudera demanded. "They only tell secrets you don't want other people to know! So what are you trying to hide from your brother?" Ietsuna burned red.

"Hayato, maybe we shouldn't push him." Tsuna suggested quietly. "Reborn said he could die."

"Reborn isn't going to let me die." Ietsuna muttered. "He just wants to humiliate me a little bit."

"After threatening your brother and Hibari like that, maybe you _deserve_ it." Gokudera fired back, arms crossed. He had been irate when Tsuna told Yamamoto and Gokudera what happened, no matter how much he tried to calm him down. The silver-haired boy would not be calmed though.

Currently, Tsuna reached out and set a hand on Gokudera's arm as they walked, trying to sooth the stormy younger boy. He had never taken to Ietsuna; Gokudera held a lot of anger towards the older boy still on Tsuna's behalf. The Italian boy pulled a drink out of the side of his bag, angrily lifting it to his lips as they walked, grumbling.

"He's just gonna call Shamal." Ietsuna let out a loud exhale. "I think. He works with Vongola."

Gokudera spat his drink out in a fine mist, let out a garbled noise as he did.

"_Trident Shamal_?"

"Uh, yeah." Ietsuna said, rubbing the back of his neck. The static from his gloves caused his hair to stand up. "Why, you know him?"

"Yeah I _fuckin_-," Gokudera cut himself off, looking shocked. "I lived with the freak!" Ietsuna stared at him.

"Hayato? Who is Shamal?" Tsuna asked.

"He's...a doctor. And a _pervert_!" Gokudera said quickly. "He's a bad influence!"

"He's a notorious assassin and doctor who treats mafiosos. Well, female mafiosos." Ietsuna said with a shrug. "I've seen him at parties, I guess. He is kind of a creep, but really good at what he does."

"How is he going to treat you then?" Yamamoto wondered out loud. "If you said he treats female mafiosos."

"I'm sure Reborn has something on him." Ietsuna said. "Just some more tiered torment." Tsuna glanced over at Gokudera, who looked like he was going through a variety of emotions, all of them playing out on his face simultaneously.

"Hayato?" Tsuna asked tentatively. The silver-haired boy's head snapped up. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah! Of course!" He said quickly. So the answer was no, Tsuna decided.

"Do you not want to see Shamal?" Tsuna was getting the feeling that despite Gokudera bad-mouthing the man, they had some kind of special relationship that the teen wasn't willing to share.

"I don't know." Gokudera said. "I haven't talked to him in a while." Tsuna had never really gotten the full story of Gokudera coming to Japan out of the boy. He had picked up that there was a complicated family history, especially with his father, based on a few things his friend had said. But he did wonder what kind of life Gokudera had that he could drop it and come to Japan so easily.

"I'll support you, no matter what." Tsuna assured him, gently bumping his shoulder against Gokudera's. Gokudera looked at Tsuna, stunned. "What?" Tsuna asked.

"Every time I think I know how kind you are, you surprise me."

XXXX

Tsuna had no _fucking_ idea why Shamal just showed up in the Nami Middle infirmary. Ietsuna did not go to Nami Middle and Shamal obviously knew how old the young Decimo was supposed to be. And Shamal never told anyone where he was going.

The only reason Tsuna discovered that Shamal had arrived in Namimori is because he slipped and scraped his knee during gym. He was alright, but it was bleeding a little bit and he figured he should go clean it out and put a band-aid on it. He had informed his instructor, who had eyed him hesitantly.

"Are you sure you need to go?" The instructor asked. Tsuna glanced down at his scraped knee, which was dripping some blood down his leg.

"I just wanted to go clean it out." Also, Tsuna didn't really like gym that much. "I don't want it to get infected or anything." The instructor sighed.

"Fine, just hurry back." Tsuna nodded and turned to walk away. "Wait." He turned back, tilting his head. "You're Dame-Tsuna, right?" Tsuna blinked.

"Uh, yeah?"

"You know the DC chairman, right?" The incident with Nezu the year prior had not been forgotten any time soon by the staff and Tsuna supposed he had been seen a lot with Hibari and various members of the DC. He didn't really think about it much, but it had not gone unnoticed.

"Yeah." Tsuna said. He wasn't about to volunteer the information that he was dating Hibari.

"Don't come back. Just-, just stay at the nurse's office." The instructor said, somewhat nervously. "Don't want you bleeding around the track."

"Um, sensei, Kyoya doesn't go here anymore." Tsuna said, trying to ease the anxiety appearing in his teacher's eyes. That comment didn't help; his instructor's eyes widened.

"_Hibari_ Kyoya?" Tsuna cringed, realizing he had spoken very familiarly of his boyfriend. "Christ, just go." Tsuna wasted no time, nodding and thanking his instructor before he darted inside, waving goodbye to his friends. Yamamoto waved back cheerfully, but Tsuna saw Gokudera elbow him, yelling at him. The infirmary was close to where they held gym, on the first floor of the building. It was a short walk.

Tsuna poked his head into the pristine, white room. There were a few beds, with curtains open around them and a desk set off to the side with cabinets full of medical supplies. The chair was pulled away, and he could see a shadow of a girl sitting on one of the beds and what looked like a man on the chair in front of the bed. He sniffed.

_Was that cigarette smoke?_

"What do you _mean_ take off my shirt?!" Came the shrill voice. It was clearly coming from the girl sitting on the bed. "I twisted my _ankle_!"

"How old are you again?" The gravelly voice was coming from the man in the chair in front of the bed.

"I'm 13, you _pervert_!" The girl yelled, hopping off the bed, and running out of the room, barreling past Tsuna. "_Go to hell!_" Tsuna was stunned.

The chair rolled back out from the curtain, and Tsuna got a good look at the smoking figure in front of him. He had dark hair that almost touched his shoulders. He was older, maybe in his mid-30s. He was handsome, with dark hair and dark eyes, looking very European and very much out of place in the Nami Middle infirmary. There was a cigarette sticking out of his mouth, smoking curling up from the end and Tsuna was instantly reminded of Gokudera, who still tried to smoke in secret.

He looked Tsuna up and down as he pulled his chair to his desk, crossing his legs.

"I'm Dr. Shamal. I'll be filling in for your nurse today." He said. He eyed Tsuna. "I don't treat men."

"Oh my god." Tsuna said. He had no idea what to say. This was Shamal?

"Though, you're so cute and petite I could make an exception." He said, hand reaching out and groping Tsuna's thigh. Tsuna squeaked in shock. "Yeah, it's soft enough. I could probably close my eyes and pretend you're a girl." He decided out loud.

Tsuna slapped his hand away abruptly. Shamal withdrew his hand, barely fazed by it.

"Kyoya is going to try and bash your head in." Tsuna said out loud.

"Kyoya?" Shamal looked mildly interested. "I don't know a Kyoya."

"He's the Disciplinary Committee chairman." Tsuna responded. He felt like he was in a daze, he was just so _shocked_. "You're Trident _Shamal_?"

Shamal's face dropped.

"Who are you?" His demeanor changed, sharpening. He uncrossed his legs, eyes narrowing.

"I'm the other Sawada brother." Tsuna said quickly before the man went for a weapon or anything like that. "Reborn called you here for Ietsuna. I'm _Tsuna_."

"Hmm." Shamal had relaxed again. "Seems like a weird name. Ietsuna and Tsuna. Sound so close."

"It's short for Tsunayoshi." Tsuna said indignantly. "It isn't weird. We're named for Tokugawa shoguns." Shamal blinked.

"Hmm. I remember something like that." Tsuna was getting the impression that Shamal knew a lot more than he was saying. He had to be at Nami Middle for Gokudera; there was no other explanation. "Didn't Tokugawa Iemitsu refuse to train Tsunayoshi as a warrior because he thought he would usurp his older brother?" The words themselves were calm and collected, but the meaning behind them cut to the bone.

"Uh, yeah." Tsuna stammered. "You know your Japanese history."

"And then Tokugawa Ietsuna died and Tsunayoshi became shogun anyways."

"You know exactly who I am." Tsuna said, changing the subject. "Why did you pretend not to?" Shamal shrugged. He tossed Tsuna an alcohol pad for his knee.

"Just didn't recognize you. Didn't expect you to be so cute and girlish." Tsuna was getting irritated with him, but didn't want to start a fight for Gokudera's sake.

"How do you know about me?" He asked curiously, as he opened the alcohol pad and wiped up his knee, wincing at the pain. He had also realized this might be his only opportunity to learn something about the mafia world and his place in it; something more than what Reborn and Ietsuna wanted him to know.

"Your name has been passed around a lot, lately. Dino Cavallone came back singing your praises. The prodigious youngest son. Everyone's been asking a lot of questions, little Vongola."

"I'm not Vongola." Tsuna said. Shamal yawned, stretching out in his chair.

"That's what your old man says. Let's see how long that lasts." He slid his chair forward, and reached out, shutting his eyes. His hands grabbed Tsuna's ass and pulled him forward. He felt himself get _groped_ as he quite literally fell on top of the older man. "Yeah, if I close my eyes, _feels_ just like a girl. A flat-chested girl, but a girl."

Tsuna let out a _shriek_.

XXXX

When Gokudera burst into the room, Yamamoto close behind him, Tsuna was on the ground, face bright red and pointing a trembling finger at Shamal. Shamal, who was stretched out in his chair, shrugging and completely shameless.

"You're a _pervert_!" Tsuna shrieked. He twisted to see his friends. Yamamoto relaxed a little bit, his eyes softening once he saw Tsuna was okay, but Gokudera was even more fired up. He had wheeled around to his former mentor and started screaming.

"_You put your hands on Tsuna, you fucking pervert!_" He yelled. Shamal blinked, realizing it was his former charge that had entered the room. "_Don't EVER_ put your hands on him again! I'll shove this dynamite up your _ass_! You shouldn't even be in Japan, you_ sex offender_! You're a public _health hazard_! And I hope Hibari _beats you to death if I don't kill you first!_"

Yamamoto helped Tsuna up from the ground as Gokudera went on his tirade. Tsuna was thoroughly embarrassed that he hadn't learned his lesson after Shamal groped him the first time, face burning red. He was tempted to hide behind his friends from the perverted older man who just peered past Gokudera and grinned at Tsuna. Tsuna squeaked.

"Are you done yet?" Shamal asked Gokudera, who was practically spitting fire.

"I _swear_-," He ripped a stick of dynamite out from nowhere and Tsuna yelped and rushed over, grabbing Gokudera's arm.

"Not in the school!" Tsuna hissed. "And we still need him!"

"It's been a long time, Hayato." Shamal said, rubbing his jaw. "You just disappeared."

"Don't pretend like you weren't keeping tabs on me." Gokudera shot back. Shamal grinned back.

"So, you're the Storm Guardian then." Gokudera looked taken aback. Tsuna was confused as to what Shamal meant exactly. He knew that the Vongola bosses had Guardians, but didn't know what Shamal was trying to say.

"I'm not anything." Gokudera snapped back. "I'm here because of Tsuna."

"Seems like a big move for someone who is just a friend." Shamal said dismissively. Gokudera's fists were clenched at his sides, face red.

"I feel safe with him!" He snapped. "I _like_ being here!" Shamal raised an eyebrow, still smoking lazily.

"Hmm."

"Leave him alone." Tsuna said, stepping in between them. "You shouldn't be here. You should be at Nami High."

"Oh, the Skullitis?" Shamal said dismissively. "I don't treat men, like I already said. And your brother isn't nearly cute enough for me to pretend he's a girl." Tsuna's jaw dropped.

"Won't he..._die_?" Shamal shrugged.

"Probably." Tsuna narrowed his eyes.

"You're going to treat him." He said. Shamal spun around in his chair, waving his hand.

"Nah. Get out. I'm sick of looking at three teenage boys." Tsuna was starting to get angry. He glanced back at Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"Is there any way we could convince you?" Tsuna asked. Shamal twisted around, looking at Tsuna, up and down. Tsuna's face was already going red. He was regretting asking that question, not sure what nonsense was about to come out of the older man's mouth, but knowing it was going to be bad.

"Take off your clothes and let me get a look-," Gokudera punched Shamal in the face. The doctor blinked, rubbing his jaw. His cigarette had been knocked out of his mouth and onto the ground. He looked surprised.

"Shut _up_." Gokudera growled out. Yamamoto snickered behind Tsuna. "You're going to help Stupid Ietsuna." He ordered.

"Or what?"

"Or you'll regret it." He hissed back. Shamal held up his hands and slowly stood up from his chair.

"Fine, fine." Yamamoto slid cleanly in between Tsuna and the older man, Tsuna peeking out from behind him.

"Shamal-san, you really should keep your hands off of Tsuna." He said cheerfully. "Or you might lose them." Shamal tilted his head.

"You're a scary kid." The baseball player just laughed.

"Oh, me? I'm not scary!"

XXXX

Ietsuna is kind of...annoying, but he's going to start trying harder. He's trying to be better, he just doesn't know how. Also, all the stuff about the Tokugawa shoguns is real. It's why I named Tsuna's older brother Ietsuna in the first place. I don't intend to kill Ietsuna off, just so you all know, but I thought it was a very interesting parallel.

There is more light-hearted Shamal content in the next chapter and then we're digging into the Mukuro arc. Also, I _do _on a Varia Arc, with some interim stuff of course. I probably will end this before a Future Arc because there's a lot to get into there that wouldn't fit at all with what I have going on. I may take some elements from the Future Arc and implement them further. Still, that's a long way off right now.

Again, check out my side story slip away for some Hibari/Tsuna content if you like that sort of thing and let me know if you want the other one.


	16. Chapter 16

Shamal is...terrible.

XXXX

They dragged Shamal to Nami High, still in their gym uniforms. It was a little embarrassing, but they were trying to help Tsuna's brother. Tsuna had texted and called his brother, but Ietsuna wasn't answering, so they were dragging Shamal through the halls. He was harassing girls as they passed, cat calling them and trying to reach out and grab them. At one point, Gokudera slapped a hand over Shamal's mouth and elbowed him in the kidney.

"Wait." Tsuna said, stopping in their tracks. "Hide!" Yamamoto and Gokudera darted into a closet and Tsuna grabbed Shamal and pushed him into the one across the hall. He had recognized the footsteps around the corner.

_Hibari_.

And Tsuna loved his boyfriend, but he knew that Hibari would not hesitate to attack Shamal. Tsuna was certain the reports of him harassing women had already gotten back to the DC and the man would be forcibly removed from campus, even if they did need him. And probably beaten half to death, to be honest.

Not that Tsuna wasn't rethinking his decision to save Shamal as they were crammed into a small, dark broom closet and he felt the hands groping him.

"Once we don't need you I will light you on _fire_." He whispered.

"I hear that a lot." He squeezed Tsuna's butt. "It's a good thing your voice is so high-pitched so it doesn't ruin the illusion-," Tsuna slapped a hand over what he _thought_ was Shamal's mouth, but hit him directly in the face. It wasn't a tragedy.

"Missed, cutie." Hot breath was ghosting over Tsuna's face and he cringed. Wherever Shamal's mouth was, was _way_ too close to him.

"I _will_ let Kyoya _kill_ you." Tsuna could hear the footsteps outside, Hibari stalking down the hallway. When they passed and Tsuna was certain they were out of range, he went tumbling out of the closet, extracting himself from the disgusting hands grabbing at him. He fell out onto the floor, groaning as the door opposite opened and Yamamoto and Gokudera came spilling out. "I do not like this guy." Tsuna said into the floor. "But we need him."

Tsuna scraped himself off the ground, Gokudera fussing over him. They continued on through the school, calling Ietsuna again, until they got near the courtyard and Tsuna heard a ringing. He was _certain_ it was Ietsuna's phone.

When they came across the scene, Tsuna immediately smacked himself in the forehead.

_Goddamnit Reborn._

His brother was in the middle of a fight with some other boys, already having been launched into Dying Will Mode. He was in nothing but his boxers, his body covered in skulls with secrets written in little speech bubbles.

_Younger people address me without respect._

_I can't drink coffee._

_My brother would make a better mafia boss than me._

Tsuna blinked at that last one. Shamal opened his mouth.

"We aren't going to address that." Tsuna held out a hand. "Oh God, this is a _nightmare_."

"I don't know, I think it's kind of funny!" Yamamoto said, laughing and rubbing the back of his neck. "Though, I guess we have only a minute or two before Hibari shows up." He said.

"So we should probably break it up." Tsuna said with a sigh. "Okay, I'll-," Gokudera eagerly plunged into the fray, grabbing one of the boys and pulling them in. "Hayato!" Tsuna took off after him, Yamamoto following after.

Tsuna tackled his brother from the side, trying not to read the skulls and give him a little bit of privacy. Gokudera and Yamamoto were trying to separate the other boys, fists flying. Gokudera absolutely got hit in the face at one point, but he just doubled back and punched the kid in the jaw and sent him skidding into the dirt. Yamamoto knocked a few of them on the knees with his sheathed sword, and they yelped, running away. Tsuna was on his brother's back, trying to hold an impossibly strong Ietsuna down. He rose up, Tsuna squeaking as he went with him, clinging to him like a koala.

"I will fight them with my Dying Will!"

"Please, don't." Tsuna begged. Ietsuna staggered forward, elbowing Tsuna off his back. He righted himself in the dirt and grabbed onto his brother's leg desperately, tripping Ietsuna so that he fell forward onto his face. Yamamoto sat down on Ietsuna's back firmly, followed by Gokudera throwing himself over the half-naked teenager. Tsuna was clinging to his legs, trying to avoid being kicked in the face.

"Shamal!" Gokudera yelled, watching the doctor get distracted by two teenage girls who were walking by, staring at the whole scene incredulously. "Focus, you _creep!_" Shamal wandered back over, amusement written all over his face. Ietsuna was still in Dying Will Mode, banging his fists on the ground. The doctor crouched down, poking the boy experimentally.

"He's so..._male_." He said with disgust.

"Really. I couldn't tell." Gokudera said sarcastically, snapping his fingers in front of Shamal's face. "Fix him!" Tsuna was going to hug the silver-haired boy when this was over. He never would have thought that the biggest problem in the mafia was wrangling difficult personalities.

"I see you've found Shamal." Reborn appeared out of _nowhere_, and Tsuna yelped after a particularly strong wriggle from Ietsuna.

"Reborn!" Tsuna shrieked. "Why did you do this?!"

"For fun."

"Do I have to?" Shamal turned to Reborn, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it. Reborn shrugged back.

"No." Shamal straightened up.

"Great." He turned on his heel to walk away and Tsuna looked panickedly at Gokudera. The silver-haired boy launched himself off of Ietsuna and tackled Shamal from the side.

"_Shamal!_" He roared. With him off Ietsuna, the older boy threw Yamamoto off his back and very nearly kicked Tsuna in the face as he scrambled away quickly. Tsuna leapt to his feet as Ietsuna wheeled around, prepared to fight the two preventing him from achieving his Dying Will. He threw a punch at Yamamoto, who quickly ducked it and bobbed away.

Tsuna sighed.

"Ietsuna-nii-," His older brother caught him in the chest and knocked him into the dirt with an _oof_. Yamamoto pulled out his sword, still sheathed, ready to take on the angry teenager in front of them. Tsuna lit up his hand and leapt forward to meet his older brother, the older boy throwing a series of fast punches. But Tsuna had fought with Ryohei, and he dodged and weaved his way around all of them, catching him in the ribs with his fist full of Sky flames.

The impact was _immediate_. Ietsuna went _flying_ with a grunt, rocketing back 20 feet as he folded over, skidding into the dirt. He laid there for a moment, before he slowly climbed to his feet, still in Dying Will Mode. He took a few steps forward, before he fell to the side.

A low whistle came from Shamal, who was laying in the dirt where Gokudera had pinned him.

"Jesus, kiddo."

"Dame-Tsuna. You've been holding out on us." Reborn said. His voice was light, but his eyes gleaming. Tsuna extinguished his hand, rushing over to check on his older brother who was laying in the dirt, _still_ in Dying Will Mode. He was groaning, slowly trying to get back up.

"Nii-san, are you okay?" Tsuna asked, but it was as if his brother didn't even hear him. After another minute, the flame on his forehead fizzled out, and Tsuna helped him sit up. His brother was wheezing.

"What was _that_?" He choked out, rubbing his abdomen where it was starting to bruise. Tsuna winced.

"Sorry. You kept going after us." Ietsuna blinked, eyes wide as he stared at Tsuna.

"How did you..." He shook his head. "_Christ_, Tsuna. I don't think you realize..." His eyes slowly drifted over to Shamal. "Ugh, that guy is here?"

"He's going to help you." Tsuna promised. "Right?"

"No." Gokudera elbowed him in the kidney. "_Fine_." Tsuna took a step back, while Shamal crouched down to inspect Ietsuna, who was clutching his side, seated in the dirt. Tsuna walked back over to his friends, and grabbed Gokudera around the waist, pulling him into a hug. The silver-haired boy flushed, but Tsuna made sure to catch his eye.

"_Thank you._" He whispered. Gokudera averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his head.

"Uh, i-it was nothing!" He stammered.

"No, it wasn't nothing." Tsuna said. "Thank you, Hayato. Did you want some time to talk to Shamal alone?" He whispered.

"That pervert?! N-no way!" Tsuna was getting the feeling that Gokudera _did_ in fact want to talk to Shamal alone. Tsuna could tell that the boy was seeking out the older man's approval, even if that older man was a pervert who shamelessly groped Tsuna and anyone who even resembled a woman. He cringed at the thought, embarrassed.

"Okay, Hayato." He said.

"Now, you can never really _cure_ an incurable disease." Shamal reasoned out loud. "So you just give someone a disease that has the opposite symptoms, so that way you'll live-,"

"_What_." Tsuna said flatly. Reborn bounced onto his head, knocking his forehead.

"Be quiet, Dame-Tsuna. Shamal is explaining."

"So he's going to give my brother _another_ disease?" Tsuna wanted to know. Reborn knocked on his forehead again, and Tsuna winced.

"...have over 600 diseases in my _own_ body..." There was no _fucking way_ a single thing that man said was real. Tsuna watched him use a _mosquito_ that came out of _nowhere_ to give his brother a disease supposedly called Angel disease, and quickly the skulls began to disappear. Tsuna tuned out the rest of Shamal's explanation, rolling his eyes up to try and look at Reborn. Reborn stuck his head out of Tsuna's fluffy hair, peering down.

"Reborn, you don't get Skullitis from getting shot with Dying Will bullets, do you?" He whispered. "This is just some weird condition you inflicted on my brother to teach him some kind of twisted lesson, isn't it?"

"Dame-Tsuna, does that sound like something _I _would do?" Reborn said with fake horror. Tsuna was pretty sure he had his answer.

"_Fuck_." Tsuna heard his brother curse suddenly, and he turned to see Hibari stalking over angrily from the other end of the courtyard. _Of course_.

He saw the skylark raise an eyebrow as he took in the scene before him; Ietsuna, half-naked in public once again. Tsuna and his friends at the high school for some reason, a school they didn't go to, in their gym uniforms. And a _clearly_ older man who did not belong. Someone who had suddenly appeared after there being reports of an older Italian man harassing girls in the hallways.

Hibari stopped before them, crossing his arms.

"You should not be here." He said to Tsuna and his friends. "And for ditching school, I will bite you to death. After, I bite this intruder to death for being on Nami High property." He had pivoted towards Shamal mid-sentence. Shamal looked him up and down curiously.

"What-," Hibari knocked him in the face so hard the cigarette went flying from his mouth for the second time that day. Shamal stumbled back, surprised as Hibari continued his onslaught. He heard grunts as Shamal tried to dodge, clutching his chest with shock as blow after blow landed. He dodged a few, but Hibari was _fast_, and had gotten even faster from training with Tsuna while Tsuna was powered up. A mosquito suddenly flew out of his jacket, and Tsuna realized they carried diseases, if the one used on Ietsuna was anything to go by. Tsuna darted forward and slapped his hands together quickly, killing it before it could get to Hibari. Shamal fell backwards into the dirt and Hibari froze.

"Ew!" Tsuna flicked the guts off his hands, making a face.

"Did you just...release a _mosquito_?" Hibari demanded.

"It's Trident Shamal's best defense." Reborn supplied cheerfully. "They carry a variety of diseases!" Hibari's eyes narrowed.

"You attempted to infect me?" He hefted his tonfas again, darting around Tsuna, ready to attack Shamal again. Shamal's eyes widened and he scrambled away, yelping at the angry figure coming after him. Some more mosquitos flew out of his jacket and Hibari killed two of them between his palms. Tsuna slapped a third just as it landed on Hibari, the skylark freezing and looking down. Tsuna looked up nervously. He reached out suddenly as he watched a fourth land and _bite_. Hibari slapped it and killed it, but not before it had already bitten him. "Face me, herbivore." Hibari barked at Shamal. "What did you infect me with?"

"Just Sakura-kura disease!" He said. "I can fix it!" Hibari took another menacing step forward. "Who the _fuck _is this kid?" Shamal wanted to know.

"That's the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee." Ietsuna muttered from the ground.

"I'll leave, I swear!" Shamal said.

"You have been harassing female students. You _will_ be bitten to death." Hibari growled out, taking a menacing step forward. He pivoted towards Ietsuna. "And _you_ will be bitten to death for yet another case of public indecency." Ietsuna groaned, clutching his side again.

"Please, no." He begged. "Tsuna already beat me the fuck up." Hibari's head snapped around to look at the smaller boy, who was currently holding out his hands covered in mosquito guts, too grossed out to look at them, head turned away and nose wrinkled.

"Tsunayoshi?" He wanted to know.

"Uhh..."

"He was in Dying Will Mode and attacking Tsuna." Yamamoto supplied cheerfully. "He was just defending himself." Hibari considered it.

"Fine. And your being here has something to do with the intruder." It wasn't a question.

"This pervert was curing Ietsuna of a deadly disease." Gokudera said, arms crossed. There was a slight look of glee on his face, watching Shamal get chased around the courtyard by Hibari, blood from his mouth and nose smeared onto Hibari's tonfas. Shamal ducked behind Tsuna, grabbing him by the shoulders and angling him as a human shield.

"You wouldn't hurt such a cute, little thing, right?" He reasoned.

"He absolutely would." Yamamoto said cheerfully, shooting Hibari a thumbs up as he glared at the duo in front of him. Shamal sighed and grabbed his thighs suddenly, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him to his chest.

"If I go out, I go out like this." Tsuna squeaked and there was an immediate uproar from Tsuna's friends and brother, watching Shamal grope him _yet again_. Tsuna stomped on Shamal's instep and ducked away, spinning around and slapping him across the face. The bug juice on his hand smeared against Shamal's cheek. The doctor brought up his hand to his face, stumbling.

"You people have been hitting me in the face a _lot_ today!" The doctor peered up, to see Hibari looming over him, face contorted in fury.

"For sexual harassment on Nami High property-," He hit Shamal so hard Tsuna felt like he could see the doctor's brain rattling in his skull as he went tumbling into the dirt. "_I will bite you to death_." Tsuna darted away, hiding against Yamamoto as his boyfriend gave Shamal a _beating_.

"We should get him off Nami High property before Hibari kills him." He whispered.

"Nah, let him go for a little bit." Gokudera said gleefully. "The old pervert deserves it." Tsuna watched Shamal yelp and scramble in the dirt. It was a horrifying sight.

"I don't know if anyone deserves Kyoya's wrath like this." Tsuna said, unable to look away. "He did save my brother's life." He offered.

"_Fine_." Gokudera grumbled.

"I'll grab Shamal." Tsuna said.

"You sure about that Tuna?" Yamamoto said. "He keeps trying to grab you." He pinched Tsuna's cheek. "I mean, you're adorable and scary which is why Hibari likes you too. But it's kinda nasty when this old man does it." Tsuna sighed.

"It's fine. It's the least I can do for him, for helping nii-san." The baseball player shrugged.

"Alright. Come on, octopus-head." Yamamoto pulled his sword out again. "Let's face our punishment like men." He grabbed Gokudera by the arm and threw themselves into the fray between Hibari and Shamal. Hibari reacted poorly, angrily going after them as Tsuna grabbed Shamal's arm and his brother's arm and hauled them away, dragging them out of sight and off the property.

They were just outside the gates, doubled over and panting. Both of them were bruised and swollen from their respective encounters.

"Well-," Shamal swallowed. "That was enlightening." He was already adopting his relaxed demeanor again, pulling out a cigarette and smoothing down his hair.

"I very much enjoyed watching you get beat up by a teenager." Reborn said, hopping onto Tsuna's shoulder. "The great Trident Shamal, beat up by a civilian teenager." Tsuna didn't know what Hibari was exactly, but he was _not_ a civilian.

"He is _not_ a normal teenager." Shamal argued. "Adult hitmen who would run from that _demon_."

"They have." Tsuna said. Shamal glanced at him, the briefest look of surprise flitting across his face before his demeanor shifted back to relaxed.

"Hitmen, hmm? After your brother?"

"No. When I was younger." Tsuna said. "Kyoya's kinda difficult, but he protects Namimori." _Protected me_, was the unspoken phrase that passed between them. "Besides, you _had_ to know there would be consequences for an adult man breaking into secondary school campuses and harassing students." Tsuna felt a little bad for the man, but _really_.

"I didn't think you would have a literal _demon _guarding a school!"

"He runs a gang that has control of Namimori." Ietsuna wheezed out. "I would get out of here before he catches you and ships you off to some yakuza torture room." Tsuna winced. That was definitely a dig at him.

"What?"

"Hibari Kyoya." Reborn supplied helpfully. "As in-,"

"The _clan._" Shamal let out a string of curses in Italian. "_Fuck. Goddamnit _Reborn_._" He shook his head. "And that swordsman? What the fuck was that? What is he, 15?"

"Yamamoto Takeshi is a natural born hitman." Reborn said, almost proudly. Shamal threw up his hands.

"Shamal-san, thank you for helping Ietsuna-nii." Tsuna said, reaching out to touch Shamal's hand very sincerely. "I am very grateful for your assistance. But now, I think it would be in your best interest to leave the school campus."

"You're not kicking me out of Namimori yet." Shamal noticed. Tsuna nodded.

"I think Hayato wants to speak to you before you go. I don't really understand your relationship, but I think you're important to him and you should talk to him." Tsuna said. "You can head back to my house with Ietsuna-nii, since he is injured and should not continue the school day."

"I'm-," Ietsuna took a step forward and groaned. "Okay, you're right." He admitted.

"Shamal-san, I am inviting you into my home so if my mother happens to be there, please, stay away from her." Tsuna said seriously. He was _really_ hoping his mom wasn't going to be home.

"I'm locking him in my room." Ietsuna said with a groan. "I might just take him to the Namimori Shrine after I get some clothes." He muttered. Tsuna nodded, turning to put a hand on Ietsuna's shoulder.

"Okay, just let me know. Thank you, nii-san. And I'm very sorry about your injuries. I didn't mean to hurt you. I can help you with them later." Tsuna promised. Ietsuna blinked.

"Uh, oh...it's fine. It's alright, Tsuna." He said. "Really. Don't worry about us. I'll get Shamal out of here." Tsuna nodded at him again. He rushed off in the other direction, worried about whatever was going on between his friends and his boyfriend. As he disappeared, Shamal turned to the young Decimo.

"Your brother is _weird_." He told him. Ietsuna sighed.

"I know."

XXXX

When Tsuna got back, Gokudera was groaning in the dirt, bruised. Yamamoto had also clearly been knocked on his ass, but had sat up, a smile on his felt guilty.

"Great training session, Hibari!" Hibari's eye twitched, watching as Tsuna hurried over. He crossed his arms.

"Who was that disgusting herbivore?" He demanded. Tsuna waved a hand.

"Don't worry about it, he's gone." Hibari made a face.

"He released diseased insects." He was still peeved about that.

"I'm sorry, Kyoya. He was curing my brother of...some condition Reborn inflicted on him." Tsuna explained. "Reborn called him here. We were just trying to...minimize the amount of women he harassed." Hibari huffed.

"He harassed _you_." Tsuna shivered.

"Ugh, more than you know." He wanted to take a shower. "I feel gross." He looked up to see Hibari raising an eyebrow, arms crossed.

"Why did you simply not injure him?"

"We needed him." Tsuna said.

"He could perform medical treatment perfectly fine with a broken leg." Hibari muttered. Gokudera pulled himself to his feet, almost stumbling.

"I hate saying it, but I agree with Hibari." He said. "What was he _doing_ to you in that closet?"

"_What_?" Tsuna had never heard his boyfriend respond like that.

"It's fine!" Tsuna said quickly. "It's fine, I promise. We needed him _willing_ to help." He said. "If it means dealing with a pervert for a few minutes, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to save Ietsuna's life." Hibari was on the verge of blowing a gasket, even after taking out his rage on Shamal and Tsuna's friends.

"I will see you in training _tomorrow_." Hibari informed him, eyes narrowed. Tsuna winced, knowing that Hibari was going to _push_ him. "Return to your school." He ordered.

"Sorry Kyoya!" Tsuna called out as his boyfriend turned on his heel and stormed off, certainly to take his rage on anyone who committed the most miniscule infraction. "That could have gone worse." Yamamoto reasoned from his spot on the ground. Tsuna rushed over, helping Yamamoto to his feet.

"I am _so_ sorry." He said to his friends. The baseball player waved a hand.

"Nah, it was good exercise! It's refreshing, getting your clock cleaned by Hibari." The look on Gokudera's face told Tsuna he _vehemently_ disagreed.

"It's my fault, for inflicting Shamal on you." Gokudera said, hanging his head with shame. "He came to Nami Middle for me. Otherwise, you should have never had to deal with him. I'm sorry, Tsuna." Tsuna shook his head.

"No, it's not your fault at all, Hayato. Don't apologize; you have nothing to be sorry for." Gokudera rubbed his neck, cheeks flushed.

"You're too nice to me." He said.

XXXX

They headed back to their own campus and continued the rest of the school day. Tsuna did eventually get the text from his brother saying that their mother had come home and Ietsuna had immediately taken the old pervert to the Namimori Shrine, before he could do _anything_. Tsuna greatly appreciated that.

So after school, even though they were supposed to head towards Tsuna's house, he steered them in the opposite direction.

"Not that I mind, but where are we going?" Yamamoto asked, slinging an arm around Tsuna's shoulder as they walked.

"Shamal is at the shrine. We're saying goodbye." Tsuna said. Yamamoto nodded.

"Alright, then! You wanna stay close to me?" He teased. "I'll protect you from his grabby hands." Tsuna's ears tinged red.

"Maybe." He muttered. Gokudera crossed his arms as they walked, grinding his teeth.

"That freak? He doesn't deserve your goodbye, Tsuna." He said with a sniff. Tsuna just smiled back. When they arrived, Shamal was sitting on the steps, as was Ietsuna but they were as far as they could possibly get from each other.

They lifted their heads when Tsuna arrived, probably thankful for company other than each other.

"Hayato, why don't you go say goodbye to Shamal?" Tsuna suggested. "I'm going to check on my brother." Gokudera sputtered for a moment, but something like gratitude flicked across his face briefly, before he just nodded and walked over to the older man. Tsuna bent down by his brother on the steps. "Nii-san?" He asked. Ietsuna peered up at him.

"I'm fine." He insisted, but one hand was still pressed to his side.

"You did a number on him, Tsuna." Reborn said. Ietsuna shot his tutor a glare.

"Can I see?" Tsuna asked tentatively. Ietsuna reluctantly lifted his t-shirt, and Tsuna could see the ugly bruise forming all along his side. The skin where Tsuna's fist had impacted itself was raw, like from a first degree burn. Tsuna winced. "I'm very sorry."

"No, it's okay." Ietsuna waved his hands, trying not to wince. "I know how I can be in Dying Will Mode. You were defending yourself." He insisted. "Plus..." He was reluctant to continue. "I kind of deserve it. For threatening your boyfriend." He admitted.

"Nii-san,-," Ietusna cut him off.

"No, I want to apologize. It was inappropriate of me." He said. "I just didn't know how to react to what I saw and I acted without thinking. I put you in a hard position and I treated someone you cared about poorly." Tsuna hadn't been expecting this kind of apology. He didn't know what to say.

"I-, uh..." He stuttered. "Thank you, nii-san. That means a lot to me."

"I know you may not be comfortable with it right now, since I haven't really...done a lot to help you." Ietsuna rubbed his forehead. "But if you ever need help, you can ask me. I want you to ask me. I don't care if it's mafia related." He promised. Tsuna dipped his head.

"I will."

"Say, what do you think they're talking about?" Yamamoto interrupted, when it seemed like the moment had passed. Tsuna was grateful, because he wasn't sure how to continue.

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asked, turning his head. The baseball player gestured at Gokudera and Shamal.

"They keep looking over at you, Tsuna." Yamamoto said. Tsuna cringed. He didn't _want_ to know what Shamal was saying. Though, he supposed if Gokudera hadn't punched the doctor in the face by now, it couldn't be bad, right?

XXXX

"I get it." Shamal told Gokudera, as their conversation was drawing to an end. The older man pulled out a cigarette, lighting it.

"Get what?" There was more bite in Gokudera's voice than he intended. The doctor jerked his head towards the group on the other side of the steps, eyes going to the small, slim figure he knew so well.

"Why you stayed with him." Shamal said. "He's powerful."

"He's _kind_." Gokudera responded sharply. "He's my _friend_." A smile tugged at the older man's mouth.

"You never would have said anything like that a year ago." Gokudera spluttered, but Shamal ignored him. "I'm glad you're here with him." Gokudera scrubbed his hands over his face, sighing.

"You fucking wind me up." He accused the older man. "But...I am too. I'm staying with him."

"You'll be his Storm Guardian, one day." Shamal said, taking a long drag off his cigarette.

"He doesn't want to be a mafia boss." The silver-haired teen said almost instantly. He knew exactly how Tsuna would respond.

"Listen, kiddo. I've seen the other one grow up. I know what he's capable of." Shamal leaned in. "He's never going to get any Guardians while in the orbit of a more powerful Sky. It's just not going to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"Would you ever choose Ietsuna over your Sky?"

"Never." The answer was immediate. Gokudera didn't hesitate to answer.

"The older one is going to crack under the pressure and someone will need to pick up the mantle." Shamal said with a shrug. "Xanxus isn't around and the little Vongola would do anything for his brother."

"I don't care if he becomes a mafia boss or not. I'm with him regardless." Gokudera insisted. Shamal reached out and patted his shoulder.

"That's why you'll be a good Guardian."

XXXX

A knock on his window pulled Tsuna out of his daze. He jerked up suddenly, wiping the drool from his mouth, checking that none had gotten on the math homework he was supposed to be doing. He turned, to see Hibari outside his window, crouched on the sill. He climbed to his feet and slid his window open.

"Kyoya, how many times-," He began as Hibari climbed in.

"Tetsu was attacked." Tsuna's eyes widened and he immediately grabbed the skylark in a tight hug, reaching up and wrapping his arms around his neck tightly. Hibari allowed himself to be pulled downward, but did not wrap his arms around Tsuna in return. "I am fine, Tsunayoshi. I do not need to be coddled." Tsuna tightened his grip.

"He's your closest friend." He pressed a kiss to the side of Hibari's head. Hibari sighed, and reluctantly put his arms around Tsuna, allowing him to hug him in earnest. When the chairman released Tsuna, the younger boy took it as his signal that he was done being hugged and released him in turn. "What happened?" Tsuna wanted to know. "Is he okay?"

"He is currently in the hospital. He is conscious, and will make a full recovery." Hibari informed him, and Tsuna started making plans to bake cookies and go visit him.

"But what _happened_?" Tsuna wanted to know.

"He said he was attacked by someone of the same description you provided. School uniform, around our age, animalistic with superior strength to that of a regular human." Hibari said. His eyes narrowed. "I do not like this."

"Do you think this has something to do with the list they got?" Hibari set his jaw.

"If it were my intention to stage a large attack, I would take out their best fighters first." Hibari said. "And they have a list of just that. I would not be surprised to learn that Tetsu ranks on a list of the top ten fighters in Namimori."

"So that means there are going to be more attacks." Tsuna said quietly. Probably on him and his immediate friends. _And_ his brother.

"Yes." Hibari said with a sharp nod. "When the next attack happens, we will capture this..._boy_." He practically spat out. "Anticipate an escalation of hostilities shortly thereafter. I doubt he is acting alone." Tsuna thought about the man who had attacked at his house, with the heterochromatic eyes. No matter how many times Hibari hit him, he wouldn't go down.

"Do you remember the one who attacked my house?" Tsuna said. "He said something about obtaining Decimo." Hibari pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't say it, but Tsuna knew exactly what was going through his mind. _Fucking mafia_.

"He is a high-level target." Hibari forced out. "And well-protected."

"Well-protected?" Tsuna squawked. His brother was _not_ well-protected. He had barely anyone in his corner; no Guardians, just Reborn.

"He has you, _idiot_. And you are one of the most dangerous people in Namimori." Hibari snapped. "As well as the group of herbivores who will do anything for you, you only need ask."

"Oh." Tsuna hadn't thought about that. "So...you think they'll come for us first?"

"I do not know. There is the chance that they believe that you are Decimo instead." Hibari pointed out. Tsuna almost fell over.

"_What_?"

"You are the one who defended the little prince with Sky flames. You were also seen with the bronco, a known mafioso." It took Tsuna second to realize the skylark was referring to Dino. Tsuna wanted to throw himself on his bed and scream into his pillow. Instead he just smacked his forehead.

"What do we do?" Tsuna asked nervously.

"Train and prepare. When they show themselves, attack and capture." Hibari said with a shrug. "Do not go anywhere alone." Tsuna sat down heavily on his bed, sighing. He looked up at the dark-haired teen.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The skylark rolled his eyes back.

"Yes." Tsuna reached out and took his hand. Hibari allowed him to.

"Just let me hold your hand for a little while."

XXXX

Tsuna hadn't addressed his brother directly, but he had a feeling that Ietsuna was a little low on the list of fighters in Namimori.

He knew his brother was capable; that was for certain. He had seen the hammer he had been trained to use.

But he also knew his brother was _out of practice_. Meanwhile, Tsuna and his friends had been continually training. Tsuna had achieved a semblance of flight, Yamamoto was _frighteningly_ fast with his sword, and Gokudera had even gotten his arm cannon working that fired destructive, concussive shots. Hibari was...Hibari, but even he had improved after sparring with them. He had adapted to Tsuna's superior speed and force while he was in that flame-ridden condition.

Tsuna hadn't had a chance to talk to Hibari about it yet, but he could swear that in the middle of some of his fights with the skylark, he thought he had seen something fuzzy and colorful, just barely visible on the end of his tonfas. Tsuna privately thought that Hibari was trying to emulate his technique and was just maybe succeeding. It had only appeared a few times; when they were pushing _hard_. When Hibari was _exhausted_, as was Tsuna. And those few times Tsuna had thought he had seen something, Hibari was dead on his feet after those fights which was incredibly rare.

After all, they knew it was _possible for_ someone besides Tsuna to wield it. Ryohei had some kind of odd relationship with Dying Will Flames. Tsuna was relatively certain that the lightning that had appeared from Lambo's horns during some of his temper tantrums also came from Dying Will Flames. And even Gokudera's arm cannon...the power came from an explosive mechanism but Tsuna sensed something special about it. Something just beneath the surface, ready to come out.

Yamamoto...Tsuna knew it was there. Something special lived within the swordsman. Reborn called him a natural born hitman, but Tsuna didn't know about that. What Tsuna did know is that Yamamato had _resolve_, and if that was what this whole Dying Will business was about, then his best friend had it.

Ryohei? Was crazy.

But this just drove home for Tsuna that Ietsuna was out of practice and that was about to be a big problem.

So even though Ietsuna was just walking to the store, Tsuna had insisted on accompanying him, his friends in tow. His brother seemed surprised, but allowed it. Tsuna felt bad that his friends were up to speed on the situation, but his brother seemingly was not. He had tried to tell him, saying that they thought someone in Namimori was after him because he was Decimo. Ietsuna had just shrugged and said, '_what's new'_.

Tsuna wasn't sure if he understood the gravity of the situation.

A chill went down Tsuna's spine suddenly and he grabbed his friends, who halted as well.

"What is it?" Yamamoto whispered. Ietsuna kept walking forward, unaware, and Gokudera lurched after him. He grabbed the blonde boy by the back of his shirt and hauled him back. Ietsuna struggled, protesting.

"What the _hell_?"

"There's something wrong." Tsuna said. Yamamoto pulled his sword out of the bag on his back, and Gokudera pulled out the mechanism that unfolded into his arm cannon.

"What do you mean?" Ietsuna demanded.

"A bad feeling." Tsuna said.

"So we're stopping because of your bad feeling?" He sounded almost incredulous.

"Tsuna just knows things." Yamamoto interjected, stepping in front of them. Gokudera took the other side, loading up his arm cannon. It made a whining noise. It was kind of like a red skull with its mouth open.

"I told you, nii-san. We're in danger." Tsuna said. "Get ready." Ietsuna sighed, but he flicked his hammer out of his jacket. It unfolded sharply. He didn't take any pill like he did before, but at least he had taken out his weapon. Tsuna had already texted Hibari to let him know that they were about to have a captive, if things went well.

At the same time, two boys stepped out on either end of the street. On one end, the end facing Yamamoto, was the short, animalistic boy. He was hunched over, a set of fangs in. He looked almost..._bigger_, and he was growling.

The other, had a taller boy, with dark hair and a beanie. In the same kind of uniform, but he wore glasses and was swinging around what looked like a yoyo, a disinterested look on his face.

"Looks like we're going to kill a few birds with one stone." He said. The one on the end growled in response.

"God, I love it when they're dramatic." Yamamoto remarked. He turned around and tapped Gokudera on the shoulder.

"_WhatI_?"

"Fire." Yamamoto said cheerfully.

_Boom!_

The concussive blast ripped itself from the arm cannon, an explosive, fiery ball that was launched directly at the one with glasses. Tsuna saw his eyes widen as he ducked to the side. The blast hit a telephone pole down the street, warping the metal and sending it crashing to the ground, almost onto the attacker with glasses. He stared up from the dirt, stunned.

The other one _roared_.

Yamamoto twisted his sword, the blade appearing and rushed to meet him. Tsuna whipped around to see a look of fear on the face of the other one, as he twisted and ducked to the side, yelping as he saw the blade coming for his face. Yamamoto managed to catch him in the arm with the edge, slicing through cloth and skin easily, a spray of blood flicking off the end of the blade and into the dirt. The attacker had attached himself to another telephone pole and Gokudera spun around and fired at it.

"_The fuck!_" He screamed as he launched himself off before he was hit.

Tsuna twisted around to see the other one pulling himself out of the dirt, and he got ready to fight, narrowing his eyes.

...just for his brother to rush past him, hammer _out_. He rushed the attacker, who was flinging out his yoyo. Tsuna yelped and ducked as a series of needles flew out, embedding themselves in the fence. His brother had managed to dodge it, and was moving onward, even as the yoyos flung themselves out. Tsuna watched one of them fly through the air, the string glinting.

_That's not a string_, Tsuna realized.

"I've got this!" Ietsuna yelled, ducking the yoyo and blocking the sharp metal wire with his hammer. He managed to sever it with the sharp end. Tsuna was worried, but he also knew that his brother was keeping the Dying Will flames in his back pocket. If he pulled that out, Tsuna was certain there was no way this guy could defeat him. "Get the other one!"

Tsuna turned back, to see the animalistic attacker caught in the terrible trap that was Yamamoto and Gokudera together. If he tried to stay away, Gokudera was firing ranged attack after ranged attack and they were getting _closer_.

"Stay fucking still!" Gokudera roared. The concussive blasts themselves looked like they were confusing the attacker, his eyes getting hazy. But if he got too close, Yamamoto was there with his sword, ready to take him out. And getting too close to the sharp blade was _not_ an option.

"_Get out of there, Ken!_" Tsuna heard the other one scream behind him, and this one, Ken, straightened up and started to back away, bending down to jump. He leaped onto one of the telephone poles, and Tsuna knew he was about to leap away. He shut his eyes as he ran forward, and when he opened them, there was a flame on his forehead, flames in his hands, and the entire world was much clearer.

He took off after him, with enough force to crack the road where they had been walking. He flew straight for Ken as he attempted to leap away. He was vaguely aware of the other one getting away, Ietsuna attempting to pursue, but being warded off by an _insane_ spray of needles.

Tsuna shot forward and grabbed the other one by the nape of the neck as he attempted to jump away. He immediately started struggling, clawing at Tsuna's arm.

"_Let me go!_" He roared.

"Do you really want me to do that right now?" Tsuna asked. Ken suddenly froze, gulping. Tsuna lowered himself to a safe height, and then dropped Ken directly where Yamamoto and Gokudera were waiting. He yelped, and Gokudera cracked him across the jaw, sending him to the ground as Yamamoto set his blade over the back of his shoulders, smiling cheerfully.

Tsuna landed next to them, pinning Ken's arms behind his back with his flame-driven strength.

"Tsuna..." he heard the whisper from his brother who had walked over, but he ignored him.

He held him down like that until the DC arrived. Tsuna was a little surprised it wasn't Hibari himself bringing a pair of handcuffs with him, but it was other members of the DC, including Ren.

"Sorry, Tsuna. The chairman was called away suddenly." Ren apologized. He was politely ignoring the fact that Tsuna had a flame on his head and his eyes seemed almost dead. "So, how are we going to lock this guy down? He's super strong, right?" He roared underneath them.

"He kinda sounds like he has a lisp." Yamamoto commented.

"I do not _have a lisp!_" Ken roared. Tsuna pulled up his head by his hair. "_I'll fucking kill you!_"

"Tsuna what are you-," Tsuna reached out and held his jaw open. He _knew_ something wasn't right about those teeth.

"_SHTOP!_" Ken struggled underneath him while Tsuna pulled out what looked like a pair of fake fangs. Immediately, the boy started to writhe, his body changing. It seemed to change to be smaller, his muscles decreasing. Tsuna felt all the strength go out of the boy's body as he held up the pair of spit-covered fangs. He made a face, dropping out of that weird mode, and swaying for a moment. Yamamoto's hand on his shoulder steadied him.

"This is gross." He said, wrinkling his nose. "Can I like, have a bag for these?" One of the DC members took out a cloth and wrapped them up as Ren put Ken in handcuffs. "He shouldn't be super strong anymore." They hauled the writhing figure up, as he was screaming threats at them, tossing him in the van and shutting the doors.

With a quick salute, Ren drove off. Tsuna flicked the saliva off his hands and turned to his friends.

"Well, we got one of them." He said. "Thank you for helping, nii-," He turned to his brother, who was staring at him, _pale_. "Nii-san?" He asked, brow furrowing. "What's going on?" Ietsuna shook his head quickly.

"Uh, nothing! Nothing. I've...never seen you fight like that."

"Do you know what it is?" Tsuna asked. "We haven't been able to figure it out." He confessed.

"Uh, maybe. We can talk about it later." He said. "I-I'm gonna go to the store."

"We should come with you." Tsuna said.

"No!" Ietsuna said quickly. "No, it's fine. You guys go home. Or to wherever they're taking that guy. Whatever you need to do." He said, scampering down the street with a wave.

"_Why are you acting so suspiciously?"_ Gokudera roared after him, but Ietsuna was already gone.

"Wonder why Hibari didn't come himself." Yamamoto said. "That isn't like him."

"No, it isn't." Tsuna agreed. "I'm going to call him." He did, and no one picked up. A sense of dread began to build in the pit of his stomach. He knew, realistically, his boyfriend's phone could have just had the volume down. But the timing seemed too suspicious.

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto noticed immediately.

"He's not picking up." Tsuna whispered. "D-do you mind walking to the school with me?"

"Of course not, Tsuna!" Gokudera said quickly. Yamamoto slung an arm across Tsuna's shoulders as they started walking.

"Hmm, it's 1 pm, right?" He said.

"Right." Tsuna choked out.

"That means it's nap time!"

XXXX

The entire walk over, Yamamoto suggested different, ridiculous reasons that Hibari might not have answered his phone.

"He's busy beating up trespassing herbivores in the courtyard."

"He's visiting Tetsuya in the hospital!"

"He took a really, really, good nap."

"He's taking a shit."

Tsuna almost choked on the last one, Yamamoto ruffling his hair. He knew his best friend was just trying to make him feel better and he appreciated it. But he _knew_ something was wrong.

So when he got to the school to see the side of the gym caved in, _smoking_, he knew exactly what it was.

Hibari was walking out of the wreckage, dragging Ryohei behind him. He looked dirty, but unharmed. Well, he looked _furious_, but unharmed as he dragged the limp, bordering on unconscious, boxer across the bricks behind him, ignoring quiet yelps of pain. He dumped the boy in the courtyard, breathing heavily, eyes narrowed.

"Kyo?" Tsuna asked timidly.

"They fucking _destroyed_ my _school_." He hissed. "To attack _this_ herbivore." He nudged Ryohei with his foot, bordering on a kick. Tsuna squeaked and dropped down to check on the boxer, whose face was bloody. He slowly rolled him over, hands shaking, but Ryohei groaned, and shot him a thumbs up.

"It was an _extremely_ tough fight, little brother! But we're okay!"

"How did you know Ryohei was being attacked?" Yamamoto asked curiously. "I thought you were on your way to us."

"I just knew." Hibari muttered angrily, turning to stare at the damage done to the school. He was vibrating with rage.

"I _knew_ it. You _are_ psychically connected to the school!"

The tonfa to Yamamoto's head was expected, at this point.

"Who did this?" Tsuna asked, looking back up at his boyfriend.

"He had spiky hair and a wrecking ball. Heterochromatic eyes, like before." Hibari hissed out. "He left the moment I became involved."

"A wrecking ball?" Tsuna asked incredulously.

"_A wrecking ball_." Hibari looked _twitchy_. "Get this idiot herbivore medical attention. I will inform you what we learned from the other one tomorrow." He said, kicking Ryohei. Gokudera snickered as the boxer groaned, until Hibari wheeled onto him.

"Kyoya." Tsuna interrupted. "Where are you going?"

"I am going for a..._walk_." He ground out. So that meant beating up delinquents. Tsuna figured he needed to blow off some steam. He stormed off, as Gokudera and Yamamoto attempted to haul Ryohei up.

"Why are you so _fucking_ heavy turf top?"

XXXX

So the Mukuro Arc is like...basically here.


	17. Chapter 17

Okay, so this is probably the shortest chapter I've uploaded yet but I just want you to know I'm not dead! There were just a few things I wanted to finish up, but the chapter after this should be like, all Mukuro all the time. I didn't want to split it up too much.

XXXX

Ietsuna was _freaked out_.

_Hyper Dying Will Mode_.

It was _rare_. No, it was beyond _rare_. It was _legendary_. The last Vongola boss to use it had been Primo himself, and like with so many things, was another sign that Tsuna was practically the second coming of the man. Even though Ietsuna had seen Basil with a flame on his forehead as well, Ietsuna knew that it was an imitation of Hyper Dying Will, a technique that had been carefully crafted by Ietsuna's father to _look_ like Hyper Dying Will but did not come close to touching the real thing.

The fact that Tsuna had achieved it on his own, no Dying Will Bullets or Pills, just his own resolve, was stunning. And another in a long list of signs that there was a clear choice for Decimo, and it wasn't Ietsuna.

Reborn didn't know about this, Ietsuna was sure. Neither did Iemitsu or Nono, or there would be a much greater storm brewing in Italy than there was.

Ietsuna hadn't originally been chosen as _Decimo_, necessarily. He had been brought to Italy to be groomed as a future leader of CEDEF. So he had been trained, effectively, as if he had been chosen to _be_ Decimo. After all, he needed to know everything the future boss of Vongola did. And then the Cradle Incident happened. And then all of Nono's other sons were killed.

When it first started happening, it had been slow, but even Ietsuna could sense the unease. The mistake most people made was thinking Nono's sons died all at once. They didn't; and after the first one died, they had started including Ietsuna into their lessons. _Just in case_.

And then he _became_ Decimo, quite suddenly.

And he _wasn't ready_. He was _never_ ready to lead, not CEDEF, not Vongola. His father had decided it for him.

The moment they saw what Tsuna was capable of, there would be a distinct _schism_ in Vongola. Ietsuna had not been officially given the rings of Vongola, so he didn't know _all_ the secrets that came with them yet, but he knew some.

The power of Vongola was passed through generations; it traveled through their souls, their spirits, their rings, their _blood_. The fact that only a single person in nine generations had been gifted with the Hyper Intuition and Hyper Dying Will of the first, most powerful generation was more than a sign; it was their fucking ancestors screaming out at them. No matter what Iemitsu wanted, their blood was speaking to them and they could not ignore it for much longer.

But Ietsuna didn't give a _fuck_ about what Vongola wanted.

If his little brother didn't want to be Decimo, he wasn't going to be Decimo. He wasn't going to let that happen.

This conflict that was happening in Namimori needed to be taken care of and Ietsuna was going to have to be the one to do it. If things were going to go the way Ietsuna assumed they would at this point, Vongola's eyes would be on Namimori very soon.

XXXX

Tsuna had been having a lot of weird dreams lately.

Mostly of ghostly figures with fire in their eyes trying to speak to them. Lots of carnage and fire, really.

But this one was different, somehow.

It didn't take place in the odd dream state Tsuna had become so familiar with; this one was a dark room. He wasn't there, per se, but he was experiencing the scene unfolding before him through flashes and snippets of conversation.

"_You were supposed to wait until he was alone."_ Tsuna couldn't see who was speaking, and he didn't recognize the first voice.

"_Ken got sick of waiting."_ It sounded like the other attacker, the one in glasses and the beanie. Gokudera had been angrily referring to him as 'four eyes' since the incident.

"_You were supposed to get number 5 alone and you took on 4, 3, and 2 all at once."_

There was a flash, of those same eyes again.

The heterochromatic ones, a kanji in the red one.

"_The shorter one did something...I didn't see what..but I heard Ken yelling."_

"_Oh? Interesting._"

It faded out from there, without giving Tsuna any real details as to where it was or who was speaking. Tsuna woke up suddenly, jerking in his bed. He realized he was sweating in the dark, and he slid his feet over the edge of his bed, rubbing his forehead. He wasn't generally a restless sleeper, but this was odd. He heard a knock at his door and he stood up, curious as to who would be at his door in the middle of the night. He opened it, and watched Lambo fall in, flat on his face.

"Tsuna-nii..." He muttered against the ground, already half asleep again. "Want Tsuna-nii..." Tsuna smiled to himself and bent down to pick up the little boy, tucking him under his chin.

XXXX

Hibari wasn't okay, Tsuna decided. Not after the attack on his school, not after the attack on Kusakabe. It was the day after they had captured Ken, and Hibari had called Tsuna at 4:30 in the morning.

On a _Saturday_.

Tsuna grabbed at his ringing phone blindly, eyes barely able to open. He could hear it near his desk and he almost knocked it off trying to get it.

"Kyoya?" Tsuna grumbled onto the phone, voice raspy. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"_I'm outside._" He informed Tsuna. Tsuna covered the phone as he groaned, rolling out of bed and trying to find a pair of pants on the floor. He glanced back at Lambo, who was still sleeping in his bed, knocked out to the world. He was thankful that the ringing hadn't woken the little boy up.

"Give me 5 minutes?" He asked.

"_I will see you then._" Hibari hung up. Tsuna rushed to pull on some clothes, and then stumbled into the bathroom. He just splashed some water on his face and put on deodorant, hoping he didn't smell or anything. He tried to tame his hair, but was _wildly_ unsuccessful, so he just gave up and headed out, pulling on a hoodie in the cool morning air.

He could see Hibari standing by the gate, and Tsuna was immediately concerned. He looked like he hadn't slept since the day before and Tsuna was certain, because he was still in the same _dirty clothes_. He clearly hadn't showered, dust and dirt smeared on his cheek.

His boyfriend was going through a lot right now and Tsuna couldn't shake the feeling that he was, in fact, instinctively trying to reach out to Tsuna, even if he had no idea how to do so.

"Kyoya?" He was still struggling to open his eyes all the way as he yawned. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine." He didn't _seem_ fine. He seemed stiff and stilted. Which was the trademark Hibari demeanor, but Tsuna knew that was unlike him when it was just the two of them. "I have come to update you."

"Okay. Do you want to take a walk?" _Towards your house and very comfortable bed?_ Tsuna was going to try to steer Hibari either towards his own house, or to Tsuna's room. He could pass out in Tsuna's bed.

"Yes." Hibari steered him instead, in the opposite direction of both of those. Tsuna sighed as they walked down the street. The chairman informed him that they had Ken in custody and that they hadn't been able to get any information out of him directly, but that they had been checking his uniform against any in the area and that they would soon know where their base was.

"How are you doing?" Tsuna asked Hibari. He just wanted to clean off his dirty face.

"I said I was fine." He said. "If you would like to be involved in the interrogation, I would not be averse to implementing your skills." Hibari said. Tsuna stopped them underneath a sakura tree. It was just beginning to bloom; it was a little early for it and Tsuna hadn't seen any others yet.

"Kyoya, you haven't slept or showered since yesterday." Tsuna's voice was almost pleading.

"I have been busy." Hibari insisted. He looked sweaty and pale, all of a sudden. Tsuna narrowed his eyes, studying him. "_What_?" The skylark demanded.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Tsuna asked again. "You look unwell." Hibari made a noise and took a step. Tsuna could swear he saw the exact moment in his eyes when he realized his body wasn't working like it was supposed to be. It was like his joints locked up.

"Tell me again that you're fine." Tsuna said, putting his hands on his hips.

"I'm _fine_." He ground out but he looked dizzy, in Tsuna's opinion. Like a strong wind might knock him over. Hibari flicked his eyes up to the sakura tree. Tsuna followed his gaze, suddenly remembering that Shamal's mosquito had bitten the chairman.

"_Oh_." Hibari attempted to take a step forward and sunk forward onto his knees, breathing heavily. Tsuna rubbed his forehead, looking down at the dark-haired teen who was barely able to stand in the presence of sakura.

"_What_?" His boyfriend seethed.

"You're going to bed." Tsuna insisted. "That's the only way I'm helping you up."

"I do not need your _help_." The skylark spat out. He attempted to get up once again, and fell to his hands and knees. Tsuna stared down indignantly. "I'm _fine_." Hibari insisted. It was almost _funny_, if it wasn't so pitiful.

"Kyoya, I'm taking you back to my house." Hibari muttered something in Mandarin, but Tsuna reached down and slid his arm under his shoulder, pulling him to his feet and down the road. Hibari shifted against him heavily, and Tsuna let out a small _oof_. He tried to keep the strain off his face though, because he could feel them rocketing towards a bout of exhaustion-driven anger before the inevitable collapse. Besides, once they started moving away from the sakura tree, some strength started to come back to Hibari. He didn't seem _well_, still, but he could walk with support from Tsuna. "_And_ we're getting you treatment from Shamal." Tsuna told the older boy as they took the path back slowly.  
"That fucking pervert should be nowhere _near_ Namimori." He growled out. Tsuna just sighed, dragging Hibari down the street.

When he got up to his house, he took him to the bathroom first. He was trying to be quiet; a full, awake house was the last thing he wanted right then.

"I thought we were going to bed." He muttered. Tsuna dumped him in the shower, on his ass. Hibari hit the ground heavily, grunting as he attempted to right himself. His face was still dirty, smears of what looked like brick dust across his face and in his hair, clearly visible against the regularly raven-colored locks. The dark-haired teen glared up at him, but he was still weak from the sakura tree.

"You can shower or I can hose you off."

"You are not as nice as you seem, Tsunayoshi." Tsuna pulled off the nozzle from the showerhead, turning it on. He sprayed Hibari in the face, who spat out the water angrily, but some of the brick dust had washed off. Tsuna turned it off again, as the skylark pushed his now wet hair out of his face.

"Shower." Tsuna said. "I'm going to go clear off my bed and find you some clothes." He pointed a finger at Hibari, who was slowly climbing to his feet and kicking off his shoes. Tsuna closed the door behind him, and shortly after, heard the shower start. He smiled to himself, before he went to scoop Lambo off his bed and tuck him away. He tidied up his room as well, a little embarrassed by how messy it was.

Once he found some clothes for Hibari to change into, he knocked lightly on the bathroom door, the folded clothes tucked under his arm. There was no answer, but Tsuna was worried that he would find his boyfriend asleep on the bathroom floor, so he started to slowly open the door.

"Kyo? I'm coming in." He said through the crack in the door. There was no response, so Tsuna slowly opened the door. The bathroom was warm and steamy, and Hibari had taken a seat on the edge of the tub, lower half wrapped in a towel. He was gripping it with his hands by his sides, leaning forward so that his hair almost obscured his face. "Kyo?" Tsuna repeated softly, closing the door. Hibari made an odd noise, something almost like a _snore_, head jerking up. He blinked at Tsuna. Tsuna stifled a laugh.

He pressed the clothes into his boyfriend's hands. He turned to see that Hibari had neatly folded his own clothes and set them on the counter, so he picked those up. He reached out and set a hand on Hibari's shoulder.

"I'm going to go get these in the wash. Get changed, and you can sleep in my bed." He rubbed the skylark's shoulder. Hibari yawned in response. Tsuna leaned in and kissed him on the cheek lightly, before leaving to put his clothes in the wash. He closed the door behind him, not wanting any of the heat to get out.

Tsuna stopped to make some green tea for Hibari before he headed back up; he figured that it would help sooth him if he wasn't asleep already. There was a good chance though that Hibari was already dead to the world, sprawled out in his bed.

When he poked his head back into his room, sure enough, Hibari was already under the covers in his bed. But he wasn't asleep. His dark hair was splayed out on the pillow as he tilted his head up towards Tsuna, turned on his side. Tsuna could tell he was fighting to keep his eyes open and the younger teen was fighting his own urge to tuck him in like a child. Hibari would call him _patronizing._

"You didn't have to wait for me." He pressed the warm cup of tea into Hibari's hands, who sat up to drink from it, before setting it on the desk.

"Are you joining me?" He wanted to know, yawning.

"Yeah, of course." It was fucking 5 am on a Saturday. _Of course_ Tsuna was going back to sleep. Hibari eyed him.

"In jeans?" Tsuna poked him, and started to get changed. Hibari just watched him through half lidded eyes, setting his head back down on the pillow. "I..." Tsuna lifted his head to look at Hibari as he pulled his sweatshirt off. "I did not like that doctor touching you." He said, finally.

"Shamal?" Tsuna asked as he pulled his pajamas back on.

"Yes." Hibari grumbled. Tsuna climbed back into the bed.

"Oh, I didn't either." Tsuna said as he settled in. He felt Hibari push his face against Tsuna's neck immediately, slipping an arm around his torso, effectively trapping him. He could feel the warm breath by his pulse, lips moving as the skylark spoke.

"I will maim him if he touches you again." He slurred. Tsuna reached up to touch his boyfriend's head, but Hibari was _out_ instantly. His arm was already dead weight across the smaller teen. Tsuna was jealous of his ability to go to sleep anywhere, anytime, at his heart's desire. He just sighed, and settled back, closing his eyes.

XXXX

At some point, Tsuna woke up, Hibari still fast asleep next to him. He grunted, and tried to roll over to check his phone, but Hibari's arm was _heavy_. He ended up having to wriggle out from under it, leaving his boyfriend asleep as he crawled out of the bed, almost dragging some of the blankets with him.

He looked _ridiculous_.

He finally checked his phone, decided it was a decent time to get up, and got to his feet, yawning. He made his way downstairs to switch the laundry, so the skylark would have dry clothes by the time he went to leave.

His brother and Reborn were awake, at the breakfast table. His mother had clearly gotten up and made breakfast, even though the kids weren't up yet. Tsuna poked his head into the kitchen.

"Where's Mom?" He asked.

"She went out to do some shopping." Ietsuna said. He was going through their mail.

"Okay. I'll join you for breakfast in a minute." He promised, before going to take care of the laundry. When he came back in, he took a seat between the two of them. Ietsuna had taken out one letter in particular, and was staring at it _hard_. Tsuna tilted his head quizzically.

"It's from Nono." Reborn informed him as Ietsuna read it. Tsuna noticed Reborn had his own letter, in the same kind of envelope, with the same handwriting. He reached out to touch it and Reborn snatched it away. "Don't you know it's rude to read other's private mail?" He said.

At that moment, Leon was curled up on the table around a warm cup of tea. And his tail _fell off_.

Tsuna jerked back in his chair, covering his mouth to suppress the shriek that came out. Leon scampered back to Reborn, a glow appearing as his tail began to grow back. It was an odd, amorphous blob slowly taking the shape of a tail.

"Is he okay?" Tsuna asked, shocked. Reborn shrugged, turning to commune with the tiny lizard. He nodded, as if Leon was actually capable of speaking with him. He turned back.

"Yes. I believe he's beginning his transformation process." Tsuna could see the little form being enveloped entirely by the amorphous, glowing blob, changing size and shape and color, before it settled down to almost a cocoon shape.

"Transformation process?" Ietsuna asked, eyeing Leon. The chameleon looked unwell.

"It happens. Don't worry about it." Reborn insisted.

"What does the letter say?" Tsuna asked his brother, changing the subject from Reborn's odd pet. Ietsuna set it down on the table, peering up at his little brother hesitantly.

"It says there is a fugitive on the loose in Namimori." Tsuna blinked.

"A fugitive from who?"

"He's running from the Vindice." Reborn informed Tsuna. Tsuna opened his mouth to ask who the Vindice were, but Reborn beat him to it. "They're the mafia police. We do actually have rules for criminal organizations. And they enforce them."

"They must be pretty scary." Tsuna said. If they were the enforcers in the mafia world, they had to be powerful for there to be actual consequences.

"They are." Reborn said cheerfully.

"So what about the fugitive in Namimori?" Tsuna followed up. Ietsuna rubbed his neck.

"Uh...Nono wants me to find him and take him down. Since he is in Japan, it falls within my responsibilities as Decimo." Ietsuna leveled a serious look at Tsuna. "Tsuna, I know you've dealt with a lot so far and I know that you're powerful. But this is...serious. This _scares_ me."

"Because he's running from the Vindice." Tsuna supplied, tilting his head curiously. He was hoping his brother would tell him more. The older boy nodded in response.

"Yes. Whatever he's done is so _terrible_ that the mafia have condemned him. He's dangerous. Far more dangerous than his comrades." That sparked Tsuna's interest.

"Comrades?" He asked. Ietsuna bit his lip.

"The letter describes...two teenagers accompanying him." Tsuna froze, his mind immediately going to Ken and the other one that had attacked. There was no _way_ that was a coincidence. Ietsuna could clearly see the wheels turning in his head, because he nodded. "I know. I agree, I think it's whoever is behind those two."

"He's after Decimo." Tsuna said. "This guy. He's after _you_." Ietsuna sighed, dropping the letter on the table and rubbing his hands over his face.

"Well, I'm after him too, I guess." Tsuna couldn't stop thinking about the kanji and the heterochromatic eyes and the vivid dreams he had that didn't feel like dreams. He knew he would sound _crazy_ but he could swear it was real.

"What's his name?" Tsuna asked. "Does it say?"

"Rokudo Mukuro." All Tsuna could think about was the room he couldn't identify, the voice he didn't know. The voice that most certainly belonged to whoever had those eyes. "And something else. But I don't want you going after him, okay?"

"Wait, _what_? But nii-san, he's coming after you and he's coming after _me_." Tsuna said. Ietsuna's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" Tsuna rubbed his neck.

"We think he got the list of the top ten fighters in Namimori from Fuuta. He doesn't know who Decimo is, exactly. But he's going through the list. I'm on it, Takeshi is on it, Hayato, Kyoya, Ryohei. Tetsuya. We're all on it." Ietsuna dropped his head to the table, groaning.

"_Goddamnit_." Tsuna gently touched his shoulder. "Tsuna, don't _tell me_ it's okay. You're involved _again_, for no reason." His voice was muffled as he spoke into the table. The younger boy was desperately trying to think of something to say other than _it's okay_, or _it's fine_.

"It's not your fault?" He offered weakly. Ietsuna lifted his head.

"Just, let me try and take care of this, okay? I know I haven't been the best in a fight in the past, but you _know_ I can handle myself." Tsuna was connecting the dots in his head, and he didn't want to vocalize it, but he was pretty sure that Ietsuna had been the target in the attack. And that Ietsuna was ranked fifth on the list.

"I know, nii-san. But you don't have to do this on your own." Tsuna said. "He's a threat to the whole town and you have help." Tsuna was doing the math in his head and if his dream was true, either Hibari was _incredibly_ low on the ranking, or he ranked first in Namimori. He was pretty sure his boyfriend was the best fighter in Namimori, not that he would _ever_ tell the smug bastard that.

"I know." Ietsuna said. "But I can handle this. I have to. It's one of my tasks as Decimo." Tsuna blinked at his brother curiously, surprised at the firm tone. It was a significant change in tune than how he felt about being Decimo even a few weeks ago.

"So you still want to be Decimo?" Tsuna couldn't contain his curiosity. Ietsuna nodded firmly. His dark eyes took on a hardness to them that took Tsuna by surprise.

"Yes." He answered without hesitation, gazing at his little brother seriously. Reborn seemed pleased. Tsuna just smiled in response.

"I'm glad to hear that, nii-san." He thought for a moment. "What else were you going to say? About the fugitives."

"Please, do enlighten us." The dry voice had Tsuna's head whipping around at top speed, and both Sawada siblings let out a shriek at the dark figure behind them. Hibari was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed. His hair was mussed, and he yawned casually, like he had just woken up. He was unperturbed by their screaming.

"_You're like a ghost!"_ Tsuna shrieked.

"_How long have you been there?"_ Ietsuna was gripping the table, eyes wide. Hibari shrugged in response. He was still dressed in the clothes Tsuna had gotten him into hours ago, a loose t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants. Ietsuna took in the outfit, and inhaled sharply. "Tsuna did your boyfriend _sleep over_?" He demanded.

"Technically, no." Tsuna answered truthfully. "He got here at 4:30."

"_This morning_?" Ietsuna's voice was incredulous. "When were you going to tell us he was here?" Tsuna scratched his head.

"Um..."

"What were you going to share about the fugitives?" Hibari demanded. Ietsuna hesitated to answer, and the skylark narrowed his eyes. "This is _my_ town." The blonde boy rubbed his neck nervously.

"Um, just that I think I remember where the uniforms are from?" Hibari raised an eyebrow.

"Continue." He ordered.

"Uh, well, it was before you were old enough, Tsuna." Ietsuna pivoted to his brother. "But there was a middle school near Kokuyo Land, called Kokuyo Junior High. It was pretty small, and it closed around the same time Kokuyo Land did. Some big developer bought up the whole area, but I guess they ran out of money because they never did anything with it." Hibari considered his words.

"Kokuyo Land would be a good tactical position." He said. It was an old theme park that had closed down many years ago. Tsuna didn't even think he had ever been there, but he was vaguely aware of it on the outskirts of town. It was overgrown and unsafe now, so almost no one went there.

Tsuna wasn't exactly sure what was going through his boyfriend's head at that moment, but he tapped the chair next to him.

"Have some breakfast." He said as he started to stand up. "I'm going to go check on the laundry; your clothes are in the dryer." Hibari took the seat next to him silently, giving Reborn a sharp nod across the table. Tsuna kissed him on the cheek as he left the room. He heard his brother speak behind him, saying,

"I don't understand your relationship with Tsuna."

"Mind your own business, Stupid Ietsuna, before he breaks your kneecaps." Reborn said.

XXXX

I'll give you three guesses for who could potentially go off on their own to Kokuyo Land with no backup...

Also as for Basil using HDW in canon - here I've decided that Basil is just using an imitation; a different technique that looks like HDW and that only those with Vongola blood could use HDW. I've seen some fics suggest that Basil is actually Tsuna's half-brother and that's why he can use it and I'm not averse to the idea, but I think we have enough brothers already, so we're not doing that here.


End file.
